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The Ethics of ‘Using’ Children’s Drawings in Research

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Visual Methods with Children and Young People

Part of the book series: Studies in Childhood and Youth ((SCY))

Abstract

The use of visual research methods is becoming increasingly popular (Butler-Kisber, 2010) and over the last 20 years a particular interest has developed in eliciting children’s own perceptions on their lived experiences (Harcourt and Einarsdottir, 2011). Given these research directions, it is notable that within many cultures and contexts it is recognised that drawings can provide valuable insights into children’s experiences, ideas and feelings. Indeed, children’s drawings have long interested psychologists, artists and educators; much has been published on this topic and the literature continues to grow. However, researchers have their own agendas and these agendas may not always have children’s needs and interests at their heart. I argue that, although children should be recognised as expert informers and witnesses regarding their own experiences and perspectives (Wood, 2005), the ‘use’ of children drawings in research can, at times, be restrictive and tokenistic. Within this chapter I will describe and critique the various ways that children’s drawings can be collected and examined in research, with a particular emphasis on related ethical considerations. The overall theme of this part of the book is ‘beyond ethics’, so I move beyond conventional understandings of ethics, such as informed consent, anonymity, right to withdraw, and so on, instead focussing on deeper and more complex concerns.

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Authors
  1. Emese Hall
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Sheffield Hallam University, UK

    Eve Stirling

  2. University of Sheffield, UK

    Dylan Yamada-Rice

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© 2015 Emese Hall

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Hall, E. (2015). The Ethics of ‘Using’ Children’s Drawings in Research. In: Stirling, E., Yamada-Rice, D. (eds) Visual Methods with Children and Young People. Studies in Childhood and Youth. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137402295_10

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