Interest in research and interesting researchers: the offer of research ethics to children who are participants in research

Abstract

Reports on research ethics in studies with children describe potential risks and what the children may need to be protected from. In this article, I turn the perspective. Could participation in research also be understood as an attractive offer to be a part of something meaningful and interesting? Central to researcher’s ethical responsibility is transparency so that participants know when research is in progress, who is participating, what they are participating in, and how to decline. The linguistic, social, and material artifacts are tools for creating transparency. Based on the artifacts – from t-shirts and information books to language and gestures – used in a Swedish RCT study in preschool, the aim is to investigate how ethical measures and considerations can be understood other than just as protection for the participating children. Furthermore, to relate the measures taken to limit potential harm and protect children’s privacy to children’s everyday experiences, such as family life, popular culture, and preschool activities. In short, what does ethical artifacts produce in terms of meaning making? The article shows that the artifacts, together with the children’s interest in the researchers, also create interest in research and scientific knowledge in the participating children.