This case study explores ethical issues that arise for researchers working with young people. This includes the right of young people to contribute their experiences and opinions in a way that enables them to express what they think or feel; respecting the role of parents and carers’ legal responsibilities in giving their informed consent; and thinking about whether the method being used is appropriate to ensure young people can be included in the research process.

Cassie’s research investigated the importance of clarifying the use of language when working with young people, and also the power dynamics between young people and adults. The research participants were young people, aged 10–18 years, who had a history of glue ear. This condition results in intermittent hearing loss and can delay development of pragmatic language skills, which may result in young people being excluded as active contributors to the research process. Two ethical issues were anticipated in the research: 1) how could the adult–young people power differentials be reduced to elicit young people’s considered views? and 2) what methods would legitimately encourage the active participation of young people? A third ethical issue also arose during the research when Cassie’s instructions inadvertently caused uncertainty for one participant. How did Cassie navigate these ethical dilemmas?

Drawing on BERA’s Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research, this case study discusses key ethical issues, including:

• principles of consent, assent and transparency when conducting research with children and young people
• power differentials and the right to withdraw
• selecting appropriate methods that ensure the needs of the research are being properly addressed
• minimising harm arising from participation in research.

About this series

BERA’s Research Ethics Case Studies, edited by Sin Wang Chong and Alison Fox, complement BERA’s Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research, fifth edition (2024) by giving concrete examples of how those guidelines can be applied during the research process. 

Annotations in the margins of each case study document indicate where, among the numbered paragraphs of BERA’s Ethical Guidelines, readers can find full advice on the issues raised. The annotations include hyperlinks to the relevant passages of the guidelines.

For a full account of ethical best practice as recommended by BERA, researchers should refer to our Ethical Guidelines, which these case studies are intended to illustrate without themselves offering guidance or recommendations.