Political Institutions in the United States

Working with children in a research project is different from working with adults. This book peels the layers back to help the reader understand what the differences are and how to respond to children in highly ethical ways. The authors make the research process very transparent by contextualizing the steps needed to plan, carry out, and analyze a research project. They do an excellent job of connecting theory with the practice of qualitative research. Readers are put right into the action through the use of reflection and description. The authors examine their own experience from many different angles, weaving together the emotional and practical aspects of doing research. - Sara McCormick Davis, Early Childhood Education Program, University of Arkansas, Fort Smith What I like about this book is the use of lots of specific examples of fieldwork, both from the authors and from other researchers. The end-of-chapter discussion questions are fabulous. - Beth Graue, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Wisconsin-Madison This book offers a refreshingly critical approach to research with children and youth that is certainly warranted. - Abigail M. Jewkes, Department of Teacher Education, Saginaw Valley State University I didn't expect that this well-written, exciting book would be so immediately relevant to my own research with children. Freeman and Mathison offer a very rich and pragmatic examination of children's roles as research participants. They carefully describe research practices that acknowledge children's competence and permit them to make informed uncoerced choices about research participation. The anecdotes drawn from the authors' research are illuminating and will make it easy for readers to recognize their own experiences in the discussions. This book will be particuarly useful for the graduate students in my research seminar. It will prompt them to thoughtfully reflect on their interactions with children and to design empirical studies that are sensitive to children's perspectives and that capture children's understanding. Highly recommended. - Beth Doll, Professor and Director, School Psychology Program, University of Nebraska-Lincoln