Chapter 3: Negotiating Youth-centred Research: Ethical Reflections on Research with Young People in Rural and Urban Spaces in Nigeria

This chapter examines the research practices, procedures and problems involved in a study investigating the digital lifeworlds of rural and urban youth aged 13–18 years in Nigeria. First, the chapter maps the key aspects of the ethical guidelines that were followed before and during the course of the study. The key aspects of the guidelines covered issues linked to information disclosure, assent/consent, confidentiality, potential harms to participants, and institutions, and financial compensation and other inducements. In addition, the chapter unpacks some of the ethical complexities and dilemmas that emerged during the research. Drawing on perspectives from the new sociology of childhood and youth-centred research approaches, the chapter examines both the opportunities and challenges involved in doing research with young people on digital technology within the African context. In line with a youth-centred approach, the study privileges young people’s views and voices to facilitate their full autonomy and rights to participate in research. The chapter draws attention to the important contextual influences and dynamics that can affect all aspects of the research process and shape the emergent ethical considerations. These include ethical conundrums such as adult–child power relationship, gendered relations and group dynamics, problems of language and cognition, ‘techno-shame’, shy and assertive participants, the drawbacks of conducting fieldwork in school settings and absent participants.