Dear Martin
Reading your email, I think we are coming at the notion of young researchers from different directions. Nevertheless, I hope I can help.
Here at the Children’s Research Centre at the Open University we deliver research training to children and young people (and/or to adults who wish to develop research initiatives with the children and young people they work with) and then offer support while they carry out their own research. Crucially, our role is thus one of facilitation rather than management and the young people identify the topics for their research themselves, focussing on those issues which they identify as important. This is different from children and young people taking on roles as researchers within projects initiated and managed by adults.
Despite this difference, it had become clear that the same problem that you have identified existed – i.e., adult opinion of the impact of experiencing research process was evident but the views of the young researchers themselves were thin on the ground.
To help address this gap, my doctoral thesis explored the experiences of children as self-directed researchers. Embracing the issues of voice, participation, children’s rights and the role of children in research, this provided  valuable insights which led to the development of a new model for good practice  - one which was based on the perspectives of young researchers themselves and not solely on the perspectives of the adults working with them (although these, too, were taken into account).
Although my research was based in primary schools, we also work with children in secondary schools and in non-school settings and several years of personal experience suggests that the issues identified by the young researchers are not confined to the settings in which my research took place – but this, of course, is a focus for further research! 
I understand that the experiences of the young researchers we have worked with are likely to be different from those of young people working within adult-led projects. However, if you think their views might be helpful to you, and if the Q sort activity is something you can easily send me, it might be possible for me to forward it to some of our young researchers (those with whom we still have contact). 
Also, (and apologies if you have already done so) I am wondering if you have you tried making contact with the Young Researchers Network of the National Youth Agency?
If you think my thesis might be of some interest or help, it is available in the open repository at: http://oro.open.ac.uk/23332/  [ Bucknall, Sue (2009). Children as researchers: exploring issues and barriers in English primary schools. PhD thesis, The Open University]
I look forward to hearing more about your research.
Best wishes
Sue


________________________________________
From: M Hughes [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, November 19, 2010 6:18 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: young researchers-participants needed

I work in the School of Education at Sheffield University and am interested in
the viewpoints of young people (between the age of about 10 and 18) who have
worked as young researchers. Increasingly there has been a trend in social
research for adults to engage young people in all or part of a research
project. Adults hold a range of views about ways in which this can be of
benefit to the research as well as to the young people themselves. Less is
known about the views of the young people who have had this experience.

I have a novel activity (completing a Q sort) that takes between 30 and 60
minutes to complete and I am keen to identify more participants. Some people on
this forum have very generously been involved, for which I am grateful.

I'd really appreciate it if there is anyone else out there who has worked as a
young researcher or who knows of any young people who might be described in
this way (either through any contacts you might have or if you have engaged
young people in this role yourself).
Please contact me if you have any leads.
Thanks,
Martin

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