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Research that seeks the child's perspective can present a challenge to researchers, partly because there is limited guidance within the nursing literature related to interviewing children. Further complicating the process is the lack of literature addressing the ways in which researchers can faithfully interpret the perceptions, feelings and experiences of children. What has become obvious is that these challenges occur across the disciplines that undertake research with child participants and this review of the literature crosses disciplinary boundaries, predominantly into sociological discourse. Within childhood lies a wide range of ages, developmental stages and competence. Discussion here relates to primary school age children, between the ages of six and 12 years. Issues pertaining to privacy and confidentiality and the ethical and legal complexities of undertaking research with children, are recognised as significant and interconnected to the ways in which research is carried out but have not been explored in this paper.
Qualitative research methods using in-depth interviews are commonly used in nursing research although in paediatric nursing it is the voices of adults, especially parents that have been most commonly sought (1, 2). Baumann (3) suggests that while healthcare providers are seeking to learn about the experience of clients, few are looking for the experience of children. Yet failing to focus on the children's perspectives in healthcare literature denies them the opportunity to share their thoughts and experiences (4). This is not to deny the importance of parent's voices, but to recognise that the story they tell may be different (3, 5, 6). However, if researchers are serious about involving children in research it is essential to provide them with opportunities to express themselves, ensuring that their views are treated seriously and with respect (7).
Researchers and children
Failure to consult with children appears to have evolved partly because of the assumption that children cannot be competent contributors to the research process (2, 4, 8). Tammivaara and Enright (9) also suggest that it is the problem of communicating with children that has prevented researchers from undertaking research from a child's perspective. Honesty, state Alderson and Goodey (10), demands an acknowledgement that adult researchers assume adults are `superior, beneficent and rightly in charge of knowledge'. Waksler (11), however, suggests that rather than saying that children are less...