The Scottish Government

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Annex and Bibliography

ANNEX: RECENT PROJECTS INVOLVING CHILDREN AS RESEARCHERS

This annex briefly summarises recent projects involving children as researchers identified by the mapping exercise and interviews conducted for this study. This is based largely on telephone and face-to-face interviews conducted for this study and references to projects provided by interviewees. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of UK-based studies involving children as researchers. However, it does provide a good indication of the types of studies currently or recently undertaken and the ways in which young researchers have been involved in these.

In Chapter One of this report, we discussed the ways in which projects can be grouped - for example:

· By funding source - central government, local government/other government body (e.g. NHS), charity or other (e.g. ESRC)

· By whether the research (and young researchers' involvement) is one-off or part of a continuous project

· By the different stages of young people's involvement - advisory role, developing/determining the research questions, designing materials/data collection methods, conducting peer interviews or other data collection, analysis and reporting, and dissemination

· By the age of the children and young people involved.

In this Annex, projects are listed alphabetically, and where known, we have noted the funding source, age of children involved and the nature of their involvement.

Details of projects

A strategy for participation: involving children and young people in the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health

NCB trained four young people to conduct interviews with other young people and to help draft a strategy for involving children in the work of the Royal College.

Funding: Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: peer interviews, reporting
Ages of children/young people: 15-16 years
Publications/further details:

http://www.rcpch.ac.uk/publications/recent_publications/Involving.pdf

A right to guidance and support in schools

Young people from Article 12 were involved in conducting this Scottish Executive commissioned research, involving a small-scale survey of 45 young people aged 14-20 in Scotland.

Funding: Scottish Executive
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: designing materials, data collection, reporting
Ages of children/young people: 15-17
Summary available at http://www.article12.org

Barnardo's Policy and Research Unit (PRU) Young People's Research Group

Barnardo's have established a Young People's Research Group in Yorkshire, funded by their Policy and Research Unit and an in-house grant. The group carried out research on bullying, controlling all aspects of the process from planning and design, to dissemination, which included a presentations to senior staff at Barnardo's and a local school. In addition to conducting their own research, young people from this group were funded by a government department to review research proposals for evaluating a new diploma, for which they were paid at the same rate as adult reviewers. Two of the young people were then invited to join a steering group for the government department

Funding: Barnardo's Policy and Research Unit/Internal grant
One-off or continuous: Continuous
Stages of involvement in research: Varies - in relation to the government department, they were involved mainly as advisors, but in their own research they were involved across the whole process.
Ages of children/young people: 14-20 (currently the group are all aged 16-20)

Brighton & Hove Children's Trust - proposed Youth Council

Young people from a variety of Children and Young People Groups have applied to Brighton & Hove Children's Trust for funding to run a Youth Council to feed into and influence the trust's work. While the remit of the Youth Council will be much broader than research, it is intended that they will consult with other young people to inform their workplan.

Funding: Brighton & Hove Children's Trust
One-off or continuous: If funded, would potentially be continuous
Stages of involvement in research: Not known yet, but potentially conducting peer interviews
Ages of children/young people: Unknown

Building a culture of participation

A two-year, DfES funded study about what leads to effective participation by young people. Young people aged 14 and over worked alongside adult researchers from National Children's Bureau (NCB) and PK Consultancy in conducting interviews with young people and adult project staff at projects working with children and young people. The young researchers were employed as research assistants, and although they did not write up the research they were involved in reviewing the analysis and commenting on the findings. They were also heavily involved in dissemination. There was also a young steering group for the study.

Funding: Department for Education and Skills
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: co-researchers (peer interviews, analysis, dissemination). Also advisory role.
Ages of children/young people: 14 and over.
Publications/further details:

http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/_files/93044411E35345F240C66D411CA0270D.pdf

Challenging transitions - young people's views and experiences of growing up

Between 1998 and 2000, with financial support from JRF, Save the Children (UK) undertook a study of young people's views about the transition from childhood to adulthood. Four groups of young people, aged 14 to 27 and with different life experiences, were interviewed across the UK. Young people sat on various advisory and steering groups and had a consultancy role in relation to designing research instruments, commenting on findings, developing recommendations and dissemination.

Funding: Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Save the Children
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: consultancy role in relation to all stages of the research process
Ages of children/young people: 14 -25 years
Publications/further details: http://www.savethechildren.org.uk

Children's Commissioner for Scotland consultation on priorities

The Children's Commissioner for Scotland has recruited two young participation workers aged 16-21 who have been involved in leading a focus-group based consultation exercise with other young people to establish priorities for the Children's Commissioner. It is anticipated that they will be involved in conducting other research projects as the SCCYP's programme evolves. The Office also plans to recruit a "Reference Group" of young people to support the governance of the office by monitoring of the extent to which it meets its objectives. Once established, this reference group may also become involved in conducting other research.

Funding: Non-departmental public body, funded through the Scottish Parliament
One-off or continuous: Continuous
Stages of involvement in research: co-researcher (designing materials, conducting focus groups, analysis and reporting) and advisory roles
Ages of children/young people: 16-21
Publications/further details: http://www.cypcommissioner.org/

Children's Fund Evaluation in Gloucestershire

Fourteen children aged 10-12 were recruited by the Children's Fund Participation Team to assist in the evaluation of the Children's Fund in Gloucestershire. The young people, supported by participation workers from the Children's Fund and researchers from Merida Consulting, developed questions they wished to ask other children and project staff and then visited each Children's Fund project in the area. They interviewed children at the project, using a pin-board exercise to explore key questions as well as a more detailed group discussion, interviewed staff at the project, and reviewed portfolios of evidence from each project to look for evidence of children's participation. After each visit, the young people wrote up their own report and had a debrief with a participation worker who added additional notes. They also presented their findings direct to the Children's Fund Board.

Funding: Gloucestershire Children's Fund
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: designing materials, peer interviews, other data collection, analysis, dissemination
Ages of children/young people: 10-12
Publications/further details: http://www.ne-cf.org/core_files/report(87).doc

Children's Research Centre, Open University

The CRC was established following a pilot study in 2002. It trains and supports children aged 10-14 to design, conduct, analyse and report their own research projects. Children are fully involved at every stage of the research process - from determining the research questions to presenting the results. At the time this study was conducted, over 45 children had received research training through the CRC.

Funding: Open University
One-off or continuous: Continuous
Stages of involvement in research: Involved in all stages, from determining initial research questions to dissemination
Ages of children/young people: 10-14
Publications/further details: http://childrens-research-centre.open.ac.uk/

Children's perspectives of social difference

An ongoing study funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and being conducted by the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University with support from Save the Children UK. The study, which looks at children's understanding of social difference, inequality and social exclusion, involves 40 children aged 8-13 from an affluent and a disadvantaged area. The children were asked about what sort of methods the research should involve. One of the methods chosen was peer interviewing, where the children interviewed their peers using tape recorders. Some also chose to interview other children and adults about issues that were important to the children themselves.

Funding: Joseph Rowntree Foundation
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: Peer interviews and other data collection
Ages of children/young people: 8-13

Clydebank LHCC Youth Project

Peer researchers carried out surveys and video interviews with local young people to explore barriers young people face when accessing health services. Young people were interviewed and paid for the work they did on the project.

Funding: Clydebank Local Health Care Cooperative in partnership with West Dunbartonshire Council, the local SIP, and Greater Glasgow NHS Board Health Promotion Department
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: Peer interviews and other data collection
Ages of children/young people: 16+

Communication 2004

Liverpool Children's Fund and Liverpool Children's Services funded Merseyside Action for Play to employ four young disabled people to explore the views of disabled young people on issues around communication. The young researchers visited projects working with disabled children and young people, led a consultation event where they discussed emerging themes with other disabled young people and presented at an event for decision-makers in key agencies. The four young people have since become involved in evaluating inclusive play projects in Liverpool using similar methods.

Funding: Liverpool Children's Fund and Liverpool Children's Services
One-off or continuous: One-off, but the young researchers have become involved in other studies
Stages of involvement in research: Data collection, analysis, dissemination
Ages of children/young people: 16-18

The Cool with Change study

An ongoing, three year research study being conducted by the Centre for Research in Families and Relationships in collaboration with Scotland's Families and funded by the Community Fund and the Scottish Executive. The study explores the impact of family change on children and young people's lives. Two small groups of 15/16 year-olds who have themselves experienced family change have been recruited to act as consultants to the project. They helped develop topic guides and advised adult researchers on the interview process and ethical issues. It is also hoped that the young consultants will advise on barriers to accessing support and assist in disseminating the findings to other young people.

Funding: Community Fund and Scottish Executive
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: Advisory role, designing materials, planned assistance with dissemination
Ages of children/young people: 15/16
Publications/further details: http://www.crfr.ac.uk/Research/coolwithchange.html

DfES Children and Youth Board

Children's Express, a charity helping children and young people learn through journalism, was commissioned by the DfES to recruit, train and support a panel of 25 young people aged 11-19 to advise them on policy and to assist in the recruitment of a children's commissioner for England. The young people and staff from Children's Express ran over 12 regional consultation events to gather the views of other children and young people on the children's commissioner and on designated policy areas. Young people used various participatory techniques such as role-plays to gather views. Other young people from Children's Express (who were not on the CYB) compiled a DVD about the CYB and a magazine summarising findings from the consultation events. A new children and youth board is now being facilitated by NCB and the British Youth Council.

Funding: DfES
One-off or continuous: Continuous - NCB are recruiting a new CYB
Stages of involvement in research: Advisory role, designing materials, peer interviews, reporting, dissemination
Ages of children/young people: 11-19
Publications/further details:
http://www.ncb.org.uk/projects/project_detail.asp?ProjectNo=327
http://www.childrens-express.org/

Dialogue Youth consultation event with young people with disabilities

Dialogue Youth and COSLA were commissioned by the Scottish Executive Equalities Unit to consult with young people with disabilities about the issues that are important to them. They organised an event which brought together 30 young people and their carers to discuss these issues and the young people then agreed to consult with other young people with disabilities to check their findings and to gather supporting information about young people's experiences. The young people presented their findings to the Minister for Communities.

Funding: Scottish Executive
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: peer interviews, dissemination
Ages of children/young people: Unknown

Don't leave us out

This qualitative study conducted for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation explored the views of young disabled people about the provisions and plans made for them by local authorities and others. A reference group of disabled young people was involved in advising the adult researchers.

Funding: Joseph Rowntree Foundation
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: Advisory role
Ages of children/young people: Unknown

Drumchapel peer research project

Young people were trained to conduct peer interviews with young people in the Drumchapel area about their substance use. The study was funded by Drumchapel LIFE and the Health Board and involved interviews with 180 young people overall. The young researchers were also involved in the analysis and reporting of the project.

Funding: Drumchapel LIFE and Glasgow Health Board
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: peer interviews, analysis, reporting
Ages of children/young people: 19 (average)

Edinburgh Commission for Children and Young People

There are plans for Edinburgh Youth SIP to move from their present structure to develop a commission. It is envisaged that young people will be involved in consulting with other young people about priorities for this planned Commission for Children and Young People.

For further details - http://www.youthinclusion.org/

Evaluation of Chase Millennium Awards Project

Clarity was commissioned to evaluate a scheme established to support excluded Scottish young people in receipt of Millennium Awards. The scheme requested that young people be involved in this evaluation. Young people aged 15-25 from across Scotland were recruited at a conference. They attended three training workshops on basic research skills and subsequently were involved in conducting three focus groups with other young people who had received Millennium Awards and advised on the wording and layout of a self-completion questionnaire sent to all young people who had received an award.

Funding: National Lottery
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: attending training, design of materials, facilitating focus groups
Ages of children/young people: 15 to early 20s

Girlz, Girlz, Girlz!

This study involved young researchers in looking at the health and well being of LGBT women in Edinburgh. The broader health project was initiated through a half-day consultation to identify the key issues, and a group of young women aged 17-24 became involved in further research on LGBT women's health needs, including helping facilitate video diaries with other young women, helping develop questions and helping run a conference on women's health.

Funding: Edinburgh Youth SIP
One-off or continuous: One-off, but as part of a longer-term young women's health project
Stages of involvement in research: developing research questions, design of materials, data collection, dissemination
Ages of children/young people: 17-24
Publications/further details:
http://www.lgbtyouth.org.uk/content/resources/download.asp?id=52

Growing up in Cities project

Children, as well as adult residents and workers were involved in evaluating and improving their environments for this UNESCO supported project.

Publications/further details: http://www.unesco.org/most/guic/guicmain.htm

Having your say

In response to the Scottish Parliament Equal Opportunities Committee Inquiry into the way Gypsy/Travellers are treated by public bodies, Save the Children Scotland conducted a study about gypsy/travellers using peer interviewers. In 2000, fourteen young Gypsy/Travellers carried out interviews with their peers across Scotland and helped with the design of the questionnaire.

Health research projects involving young service users

The Involve research database cites a number of mainly Lottery or Charity-funded studies which have involved children and young people who are patients or health service users in some way other than as subjects. Examples of projects cited in the Database which fall under the different models/stages of involvement for young researchers discussed elsewhere in this report are given below. Each entry in the database also provides interesting examples of the ways in which consumers' (in this case young people's) involvement in the study made a difference to the research.

· Young person-initiated projects - e.g. Young people, residential care and food, a Save the Children funded study conducted and initiated by young care-leavers in partnership with adult researchers. The young people were involved in all stages of the study, from determining the issues to report writing. See also Involve database entries on Right Fit: the GlaxoSmithKline and Barnardo's health partnership with young people.

· Projects involving young people as "co-researchers", where young people are involved in all stages of the research though it remains adult-initiated - e.g. A national evaluation of the NSPCC's Young People's Centres by young people, an NSPCC funded study where young people were recruited and trained as 'co-researchers' to interview young people and staff and analyse secondary data. There were also involved in analysis, reporting and dissemination. See also Involve database entry on Youth Input.

· As research advisors - e.g. The mental health needs of children and young people during the transition years from primary school to secondary school, funded by HertNet and conducted by CRIPACC at the University of Hertfordshire. 10-12 year-olds are involved in a special co-researcher reference group and will also be involved in dissemination. See also Involve database entries on Meeting the mental health needs of young people with learning difficulties.

· In helping design research materials - e.g. Befriending: more than just finding friends? A National Lottery funded project conducted by a researcher at the Norah Fry Research Centre which involved young people with learning difficulties who use befriending services in designing leaflets and interview schedules for other people with learning difficulties. See also Involve database entries on to Improving the Health and Well-being of Socially Excluded Young People.

· As peer interviewers - e.g. Improving the Health and Well-being of Socially Excluded Young People, a National Lottery funded project conducted by the Children and Families Research Unit at De Montfort University, where young people decided on the topics which affected their health, designed and drew up the interview schedules and interviewed each other.

· In analysing data - e.g. Involving children and young people in clinical audit, a self-funding study conducted by Anglia Polytechnic University where young people will participate in data analysis of the questionnaire they devised and in writing brief findings reports and making decisions about dissemination.

For further details of these and other projects see the Involve Database: http://www.invo.org.uk/Database.asp

Quarriers' research on social networks of young homeless people

A PhD project funded by Quarriers exploring the nature of the social networks of young homeless people. The researchers trained seven young people living in supported accommodation as peer researchers. Pairs of peer researchers interviewed other young homeless people and encouraged them to keep diaries. They were also involved in commenting on the data and it is intended they will be involved in dissemination.

Funding: Quarriers
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: Peer interviews, commenting on the data, dissemination
Ages of children/young people: Majority were 16-25

Imprint (evaluation of the Blueprint Drug Education Programme)

NCB were funded by the Home Office to record the views of children taking part in the Blueprint drug education programme. One of the methods used for the study was to train young evaluators within the schools to record their own experiences through journals and to interview other children using semi-structured questionnaires.

Funding: Home Office
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: peer interviews
Ages of children/young people: Unknown
Publications/further details:
http://www.ncb.org.uk/projects/project_detail.asp?ProjectNo=305

Look who's talking housing - action research report

Communities Scotland Scottish Community Action Research Fund funded Inverclyde Council's Housing and Young Person's Task Group to conduct research on how to involve young people in housing decision-making and to explore young people's tenancy and support needs. Eight young researchers were recruited and trained to conduct research in schools with S4-S6 pupils. They used task-based techniques to explore pupils perceptions of housing issues. They also carried out a best practice visit to another council where they interviewed professionals about their policies for young people. The young researchers wrote the report themselves (with support from the task group) and presented findings to an audience of 60-70 professionals at the research launch.

Funding: Communities Scotland and the Scottish Community Action Research Fund
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: peer interviews, other data collection, reporting, dissemination
Ages of children/young people: 18-23

Investing in Children Project, Durham

A multi-agency project established and funded by Durham County Council and County Durham Health Authority which provides support to children and young people to research the issues which concern them and to campaign for change. Young people are involved both in developing, designing, conducting and analysing their own research projects, and in conducting research on behalf of the partner agencies involved in Investing in Children. They also hold "agenda days" where young people involved in an issue meet and discuss what the key issues are. At the time of the mapping exercise, 700-800 young people had been involved in Investing in Children.

Funding: Durham County Council and County Durham Health Authority
One-off or continuous: Continuous
Stages of involvement in research: developing research questions/agenda setting, research design, data collection, analysis
Ages of children/young people: All ages (3-4 year-olds have been involved in IIC projects)
Publications/further details: http://www.iic-uk.org/

Involving children in Medicines for Children Research Network

NCB are being funded by the Department of Health to ensure the active involvement of children in all stages of medical research about medicines for children. Children will be involved in a shadow advisory group which will input into the research design.

Funding: Department of Health
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: Advisory role, research design
Ages of children/young people: Unknown
Publications/further details:
http://www.ncb.org.uk/projects/project_detail.asp?ProjectNo=340

Learning from their Lessons - A Study of Young People in Residential Care and their Experience of Education

Young people were involved in the dissemination of this research, funded by Marie Curie and undertaken by the Children's Research Centre at Trinity College, Dublin. The research focused on the experiences of young people in residential care, and looked-after young people produced a handbook, aimed at other children in residential care, to accompany the research report.

Funding: Marie Curie
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: Dissemination
Ages of children/young people: 8-18

Listen up! Surveys of looked after young people

Brighton Children's Rights and Coalition4Youth supported a forum of looked-after young people to plan and conduct a survey of other looked-after young people. The young people were trained as interviewers and, under strict supervision, conducted telephone interviews.

Funding: Unknown
One-off or continuous: One-off, though has been repeated more than once
Stages of involvement in research: peer interviews
Ages of children/young people: Unknown

Looked after young people's views on the review process

Edinburgh Youth SIP supported young people aged 19-21 who had been through the care system to interview younger looked-after teenagers about their views on the review process. The young researchers facilitated focus groups, with support from adults. An adult researcher wrote the report but the young researchers commented on the findings and suggested revisions.

Funding: Edinburgh Youth SIP
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: facilitating focus groups
Ages of children/young people: 19-21

Mind the gap: health futures for young people in Hounslow

SOLAR (Social and Organisational Learning as Action Research) and Hounslow Community Health Council supported a group of 11 peer leaders to design and conduct research with other young people to explore what health means to them. They were free to choose their own research methods - some used questionnaires, some used discussion groups and one group produced a video. The young people were then supported to present findings to a large-scale event (around 100 practitioners and decision-makers) and to engage in dialogue with professionals about the issues the research revealed.

Funding: Hounslow Community Health Council
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: Designing materials, data collection, dissemination
Ages of children/young people: 13-21

Patient and Carer Experiences - teenage advisory group

The Cancer Care Research Centre at Stirling University is undertaking a three-year study on patient and carer experiences funded by the Scottish Executive. They are currently in the first year of this and hope to recruit a teenage advisory group who will help set the research agenda for the next two years of the study and may become involved in their own research projects with ongoing support and training from other organisations.

Funding: Scottish Executive
One-off or continuous: 3-year programme
Stages of involvement in research: Advisory role, but also involved in setting research agenda
Ages of children/young people: Teenagers
Publications/further details: http://www.cancercare.stir.ac.uk/projects/pce_intro.htm

Peer educators research study ( South Africa )

A researcher from the Institute of Education collaborated with peer educators (aged 16-22) in South Africa who wished to evaluate their own programme. The 12 month study was funded by the Department for International Development. The peer educators were involved in the design, data collection and initial analysis of the survey, which eventually collected information from 1,500 learners.

Funding: Department for International Development
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: Development of research questions, design of materials, data collection, initial analysis
Ages of children/young people: 16-22

Royston Youth Action Research Peer Researchers Project

In 2004, nine young people conducted a research project coordinated by Royston Youth Action and funded by North Glasgow Social Inclusion Partnership. They developed a questionnaire to find out about 11-24 year olds leisure activities, alcohol and drugs misuse, gang activity and 'wish lists' for improving the local environment. The young researchers distributed the survey to 250 young people and developed a drug awareness workshop

Funding: North Glasgow Social Inclusion Partnership
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: Advisory role, questionnaire design, fieldwork and dissemination
Ages of children/young people: over 16/17 years
Publications/further details: see Royston Youth Action (2005) Peer Researchers Project Available from Royston Youth Action , 325 Royston Road, Glasgow. Tel no. 0141 572 0986

The Rural Voices: Action Research Competition

Under this scheme, funded by the Scottish Executive, funding was made available for community action research projects lasting for a period of up to 9 months. Several of the projects involved young people in the doing of research, either by themselves or as part of a wider community team.

Funding: Scottish Executive
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: : Developing research questions/agenda setting, research design, data collection, analysis
Ages of children/young people: Unknown

Satisfaction survey of young people using residential care

Brighton Children's Rights and Coalition 4 Youth are planning to involve teenage users of residential care units in planning a survey of other units. The intention is that young people will determine what is most important to them to ensure the survey focuses on the right issues, as well as contributing to the wording of the questionnaire.

Funding: Unknown One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: Development of research questions, design of research materials
Ages of children/young people: Unknown

Serving Children? The impact of poverty on children's experiences of public, private and voluntary services

An ongoing project funded by the Big Lottery Fund and being conducted by Save the Children, the Centre for the Child and Society and the Scottish Centre for Research on Social Justice. The study seeks to explore the effect of poverty on children's access to, perceptions of and use of public, private and voluntary services. A young person's advisory group for the study is running parallel with an adult professionals advisory group. The young people's advisory group has 5-6 active members that will meet regularly for the duration of the project to advice on metholodology, data interpretation and dissemination. The project aims to involve young people not only in the design of the materials, but also in the interpretation of data and most importantly at the dissemination stage, through events organised by and for young people and a young people's summary and materials for dissemination (possibly including a video) to be produced mainly by young people.

Funding: Big Lottery Fund
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: Advisory role, may be involved in design of materials
Ages of children/young people: 13-16

Sexual Health Service Mystery Shopping

Brighton Children's Rights and Coalition 4 Youth supported young people to conduct "mystery shopping" research into the sexual health services available to young people in Brighton and Hove.

Funding: Unknown
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: Data collection
Ages of children/young people: 14-17

Skye and Lochalsh Young Carers' Project

Children and young people participating in this project have been involved in the design of evaluation tools for the project. They participate in monthly evaluations of the project and are consulted on the final reports (adults draft the initial reports but young people "put meat on the bones"). Older young people may also support younger people to complete their evaluation forms.

Funding: Highland Council, NHS Highland, BBC Children in Need. Additional funding from Big Lottery and European Union.
One-off or continuous: Continuous - involved in ongoing monitoring and evaluation
Stages of involvement in research: Design of materials, commenting on reporting
Ages of children/young people: 5-18

A study on children's experience of disability

Conducted by the Social Work Research Centre at Stirling University and funded by the Scottish Executive. Two girls with disabilities aged 11 or 12 were involved in this qualitative study as "co-research advisors". They met with the adult researchers three times to discuss the proposal, to assist them in revising research materials for young people with disabilities and to discuss recruiting samples.

Funding: Scottish Executive (via core funding of Social Work Research Centre)
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: Advisory role, Design of materials
Ages of children/young people: 11-12
Publications/further details: Connor, C. and Stalker, K. (2002) Children's experiences of disability: a positive outlook, Edinburgh: Scottish Executive Education Department.

A study on services available for LGBT youth in Scotland

The idea for this study, which investigated services available locally for LGBT young people in different parts of Scotland, came from LGBT young people themselves. Young researchers were trained by co-researchers at Strathclyde University and designed and conducted much of the research themselves, including assisting with questionnaire design, facilitating focus groups and making video diaries.

Funding: Communities Scotland Scottish Community Action Research Fund and Scottish Executive (who funded some further reporting on the project)
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: Idea for the project came from young people, who were involved in the design and data collection
Ages of children/young people: 15-25

Take my advice: involving young people in the design, delivery and evaluation of health services

A partnership project between Edinburgh Youth SIP, Lothian NHS Board, Healthy Respect and young people, this study involved a small team of young researchers in conducting peer interviews and interviews with adult health professionals about young people's access to health services.

Funding: Edinburgh Youth SIP
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: Peer interviews and interviews with adults
Ages of children/young people: Unknown

Talking 2 Ourselves website

The Scottish Development Centre for Mental Health and Penumbra have supported a group of 15-25 young people aged 13-19 years to develop a website to provide young people with information and advice about mental health. The website development project is being funded by the Scottish Executive through NHS Health Scotland. The young people carried out desk-based research to inform the content of the website and one of the group conducted interviews at her school to inform the site-design. They have also been involved in presentations about the website.

Funding: Scottish Executive/NHS Health Scotland are funding the website, which the research is contributing to the development of
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: Peer interviews and other data collection, dissemination
Ages of children/young people: 13-19

Telling it like it is

Article 12 have produced a training document, Telling it like it is, on involving young people in peer education projects. This training document was utilised across Europe to promote the European White Paper on Youth and in Scotland by a number of organisations, including the Electoral Commission, to promote young people's involvement in democratic processes.

Funding: The European Commission
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: Young people involved in the design and implementation of the paper
Ages of children/young people: 16-22

"Telling Reg and Al where to get off" - Fast Forward peer-led smoking cessation research

Young volunteers were trained to conduct interviews with other Scottish young people aged 11-18 about smoking cessation.
Funding: Unknown
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: Peer interviews
Ages of children/young people: 16-25

Triumph and Success project

The Triumph and Success project explored youth transitions in Sheffield. It involved 8 young people in designing questionnaires, undertaking a survey of 750 young people and conducting 60 face-to-face interviews. The young researchers were supported by youth workers and professional researchers.

Funding: Joseph Rowntree Foundation
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: Designing materials, peer interviews
Ages of children/young people: 15-21
Publications/further details: The study and the experience of using young researchers in this way has been evaluated by the JRF:
http://www.jrf.org.uk/knowledge/findings/socialpolicy/pdf/D30.pdf

Understanding the impact of Connexions on young people at risk

Primarily a qualitative study exploring young people's experience of the Connexions process and the impact of Connexions on different groups of young people. A small panel of peer researchers were trained in each Connexions partnership area and fed into the research by providing local knowledge of youth issues, commenting on the research design and feeding back on Connexions marketing and branding from a young person's perspective. Young people were paid and received accreditation for their role in the study.

One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: Advisory role and observational work
Ages of children/young people: Not known - but Connexions is aimed at 13-19 year-olds
Publications/further details: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/RR607.pdf

A view from the girls: exploring violence and violent behaviour

Research on teenage girls' attitudes, perceptions and experiences of violent behaviour funded by the ESRC Violence Programme and conducted by researchers at Glasgow University and Children in Scotland. A group of teenage girls who participated in a pilot study for the project acted as an advisory group for the main study. Their advisory group ran in parallel to the adult advisory group.

Funding: ESRC
One-off or continuous: One-off
Stages of involvement in research: Advisory role
Ages of children/young people: Approx age 13-16 years

Publications/further details: see link for ESRC summary paper - http://www1.rhbnc.ac.uk/sociopolitical-science/VRP/Findings/rfburman.PDF

http://www.gla.ac.uk/girlsandviolence/publications.htm

Viewfinder Survey

The Edinburgh Council-funded Viewfinder survey is conducted every three years to find out what young people aged 11-18 think about Edinburgh. Young people have been involved in questionnaire design by helping determining what questions should be asked and in interviewing tenderers for the survey. They were supported by the Young Edinburgh team.

Funding: Edinburgh Council
One-off or continuous: One-off (but survey has now been repeated several times)
Stages of involvement in research: Advisory role, assisting in designing materials
Ages of children/young people: 11-18

Young people's perceptions of mental health ( Glasgow )

An ongoing study being conducted by Greater Glasgow NHS. At the time the mapping exercise was conducted, this study was at a relatively early stage. The intention was that young people (aged 16+) would be involved in designing a questionnaire and carrying out structured interviews with other young people. The young people were to be trained in research methods and mentored by young people who have already been involved in peer research through Royston Youth Action.

Funding: Greater Glasgow NHS
One-off or continuous: Continuous
Stages of involvement in research: Designing materials, peer interviews
Ages of children/young people: 16+

Young resisters and desisters (PhD thesis)

Cathy Murray, Lecturer in Social Policy at the University of Stirling, is near completion of her doctoral thesis. She is doing secondary analysis of 112 interviews with young resisters (who have never offended) and young desisters (who have ceased to offend). The participatory aspect of the study is peer led focus groups with 52 resisters aged 14-18 conducted in 2003-2005. This innovative methodological approach involves the young person or 'peer' facilitating the focus group - in this study, with friends of the same age and gender.

Funding: Unknown
One-off or continuous: One-Off
Stages of involvement in research: Peer-led focus groups
Ages of children/young people: 14-18
Publication: Murray, C. (2006) 'Peer led focus groups and young people', Children and Society (earlybird copy of the paper at http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/112095383/PDFSTART)

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