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In:Child-centered Approaches to Applied Linguistic Research
Edited by Yuko Goto Butler and Annamaria Pinter
[Research Methods in Applied Linguistics 13] 2025
► pp. 114–130

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Chapter 7
Ethics and child-centered research in the era of digital technology

 | University of Pennsylvania
Published online: 5 September 2025
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/rmal.13.07but
Abstract
We are living in a time of rapid change. Digital technology has transformed not only how we communicate but also the target language itself. Digital technology also influences how we conduct child-centered research. Drawing on the author’s and other scholars’ Applied Linguistics research concerning child participants, the chapter discusses some ethical issues that emerge when digital technologies are used in child-centered research. The chapter first lays out basic, internationally accepted ethical principles for human subject research — respect for person (autonomy), beneficence (benefits should be greater than potential risk), and justice (equal and fair treatment) — and their implications when working with children. Building on these ethical principles, the chapter discusses (a) the challenges of ensuring children’s autonomy in the process of obtaining their assent through digital technologies (e.g., online surveys) and throughout the research process; (b) complexities in assessing potential benefits and risks related to protecting children’s confidentiality and privacy in digital spaces; and (c) challenges in power relations between children and adult researchers as well as among children, which may influence research procedures, experiences, and outcomes. The chapter concludes with suggestions for researchers when designing and conducting child-centered research in the rapidly changing world of digital technology.
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Basic ethical principles: Implications for child-centered research perspectives
  • Complexities in conducting child-centered research
    in the era of digital technology
  • Respecting children’s autonomy in the assent procedure
  • Ensuring benefits and avoiding harms during research participation
  • Considering fairness and power imbalances in child research
    in the digital era
  • Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
References (30)
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