Social Research on Children and Adolescents

A first in its field, this timely volume effectively bridges the gap between the legal requirements that govern research on minors and the research methodology literature in adolescent psychology. The editors skillfully bring together the insights of a group of leading researchers and scholars to address and resolve the following issues: what theory and research on human development can tell researchers about adolescents′ vulnerability to several kinds of risk research and how to reduce that vulnerability; what the law says about young peoples′ rights to privacy; how the relevant ethical theory or guidelines should apply to minors approaching adulthood; under what circumstances parental consent does not protect children′s rights; and how one explains the research process to a young adult. Social Research on Children and Adolescents reaches a wide audience from professionals in development psychology, family studies, and education to researchers in evaluation, research methods, and sociology to students in the above fields; all will undoubtedly benefit from this book. "Social Research on Children and Adolescents is an invaluable resource for researchers who confront questions such as how to assess risks and benefits within a developmental framework, what legal constraints and ethical principles guide research practice, and how to explain research participation to youth who differ greatly in their comprehension of the enterprise. . . . The major strength of this book, aside from its effective integration of developmental theory and research ethics, is the repeated examination of concrete research problems in light of ethical principles and legal requirements. . . . [This book] will be a useful addition to the library of any social scientist who conducts psychological research with children." --Death Studies

Joan E. Sieber, a psychologist and Professor Emerita, California State University, East Bay, has specialized in empirical research on questions of scientific ethics, culturally sensitive methods of research and intervention, data sharing methodology, and scholarship on ethical problem solving. In 2001-2002, she was Acting Director of the National Science Foundation program Societal Dimensions of Engineering, Science and Technology. She is the author of eight books and numerous other publications including software and encyclopedia entries on ethical problem solving in social and behavioral research.