Children as experts in their lives : child inclusive research

The focus of this special volume of CSI on research with and by children reflects a major paradigm shift in child research - a shift from a focus on the child as object of to a focus on the child as subject (and actor) in research (see Mason and Hood 2010). In his lead article in the first issue of this journal (2008), Asher Ben-Arieh highlighted the way in which the child indicators movement reflects this paradigm shift, outlining the way in which new directions in measuring and monitoring child well-being were leading to new roles for children in this process. He noted the importance of including children's own perspectives on their well-being and argued that 'incorporating children's subjective perceptions is both a pre-requisite and a consequence of the changes historically in the measuring and monitoring of child well-being' (p.13). This special issue again takes up this agenda of the child as subject in research. The importance of including children as subjects whose perspectives are heard in matters concerning them is gaining momentum within child research. This perspective was acknowledged when it was decided that the 2009 Child Indicators Conference would be preceded by a Symposium 'Children as experts in their lives: Child inclusive research.' This special edition publishes articles based on the two plenary sessions of the Symposium as well as articles drawn from contributed papers that were presented at the one-day event.