title: Research Ethics Committees and Participatory Action Research With Young People: The Politics of Voice.
abstract: Participatory action research (PAR) is a methodological approach that seeks to maximize the participation of people whose lives it researches. It is underpinned by an ethical concern to research "with" people, rather than "on" people. However, this ethical approach to research is often, paradoxically, problematized by universities' research ethics committees (RECs). This article explores one site of tension between PAR and RECs-the requirement for anonymity for below 18-year-olds. It explores this tension by exploring a case study of a peer-to-peer research project undertaken by young women in East London, and using our own experiences and perspectives, it argues that anonymity can be unjust, disempowering, and unnecessary, and can reduce "pride." Without wanting to develop specific recommendations, given the limited scope of our case study, this article uses firsthand experiences to add weight to the broader discussions calling for a critical rethink of REC guidelines.
authors.affiliation: University of Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Zeynep M
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Yanar
authors.affiliation: University of Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Mehria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fazli
authors.affiliation: University of Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Jahanara
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.affiliation: University of Oxford, UK rys@rysfarthing.com.
authors.forename: Rys
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Farthing
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research / Q000941:ethics*; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D030881:Disclosure / Q000941:ethics*; D028744:Ethics Committees, Research; D032984:Ethics, Research; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000941:ethics; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D012649:Self Concept; D012935:Social Justice; D014495:Universities
keywords: participatory action research; research ethics; research ethics boards; youth participation