Perry Starlight, Ali Orbit and Kim Cosmos' alien encounter: creating a picturebook as information for children and parents participating in research
ISSN: 0022-0418
Article publication date: 7 March 2023
Issue publication date: 25 August 2023
Abstract
Purpose
This study explored whether the creation of an illustrated picturebook could explain the terms and practicalities of participatory, multi-method qualitative research to children aged four to eight years and their parents/carers, creating conditions to seek agreement to their participation, by using an age-appropriate design whilst adhering to ethical guidelines. The purpose of this paper is to explore how this was done addressing these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on the researcher's previous professional experience working in children's publishing and taking an innovative and collaborative approach to giving information to child and parent/carer co-researchers, the researcher and an illustrator created a picturebook both as an eBook and a paperback book to recruit and explain research and co-researchers’ roles to young children and their parents/carers.
Findings
The picturebook successfully recruited 30 children and their parents/carers. Other children expressed their wish not to participate. These findings suggest that greater consideration should be given to the ways information is given to potential research participants, particularly the visual, material and paratextual elements of the information sheets and consent forms routinely used in research.
Originality/value
This paper offers insight into the publishing practicalities of creating innovative ways of giving information about research participation to children and parents/carers and how these ways might foster rich data collection.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
With profound thanks to Daisy Wynter, Jamie Joseph, Andrew Flynn, Elizabeth Shepherd, Catherine Ngwong, Mark Williams and also to the reviewers for their clarifying insights.
Funding: The creation of the picturebook was funded by the Department of Information Studies, UCL. The Ph.D. referred to throughout is funded by the AHRC London Arts and Humanities Partnership.
Citation
Smales, K., Lloyd, A. and Rayner, S. (2023), "Perry Starlight, Ali Orbit and Kim Cosmos' alien encounter: creating a picturebook as information for children and parents participating in research", Journal of Documentation, Vol. 79 No. 5, pp. 1124-1146. https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-09-2022-0203
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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