Rigorous quantitative and qualitative methods are vital to sustain evidence-based policy. This raises crucial questions of reliability, validity, comparability and research ethics.
The EU Kids Online network has worked hard to develop its research toolkit. We are keen that our insights and our methods are used by researchers and research users internationally.
Our research toolkit has several elements. They are provided below.
Frequently asked questions
Guidance for researchers working with children and online technologies is provided as frequently asked questions and as a complete pdf.
Cross-national comparative research design
We explain our approach to comparative research here.
Quantitative (survey) toolkit
Updated survey questionnaire
For researchers who wish to conduct new surveys on children’s internet use – in particular countries or on particular topics – we have thoroughly revised and updated our original survey instrument. It is now easier for other researchers to use in future research.
The excel spreadsheet contains questions for a face-to-face survey with child respondents (and could be adapted for other formats as appropriate). This is a work in progress, and we welcome feedback and suggestions for further improvements.
Technical report on the survey
This report was produced for the original EU Kids Online 25 country survey. It explains the research design, cognitive testing and piloting, research ethics, fieldwork processes, data preparation, weighting and quality control. There is document indicating the key variables used. For the outcome, see our full findings report.
Original EU Kids Online survey questionnaires
Data set for the original 25 country survey
The raw dataset is freely available from the UK Data Archive (requires registration).
While users need to register to use the data set they can reach all the documentation under the following link:
https://discover.ukdataservice.ac.uk/catalogue/?sn=6885&type=Data%20catalogue#documentation
User Guide:
http://doc.ukdataservice.ac.uk/doc/6885/mrdoc/pdf/6885_technical_report_user_guide.pdf
Data Dictionary:
http://doc.ukdataservice.ac.uk/doc/6885/mrdoc/excel/eu_kids_online_2010_data_dictionary.xls
SES Pack:
http://doc.ukdataservice.ac.uk/doc/6885/mrdoc/excel/eu_kids_online_ses_pack.xls
Qualitative (interview) toolkit
Technical interviews report
This report explains the design, administration and coding for the nine-country interviews and focus groups conducted with children in 2013-14. For the outcome, see the full report.
Original EU Kids Online topic guides and coding instructions
The research ethics application, invitations to participate in the project, consent forms, topic guides, coding guides and examples of translations and coded interviews can be found here.
Methodological resources
Barbovschi, M., Green, L. and Vandoninck, S. (2013) Innovative approaches to investigating how young children understand risk in new media: Dealing with methodological and ethical challenges. EU Kids Online Network, London, UK.
Ólafsson, K., Livingstone, S. & Haddon, L. (2013) Children's use of online technologies in Europe: A review of the European evidence base. EU Kids Online Network, London, UK.
Lobe, B., Livingstone, S., & Haddon, L. (2007) Researching children's experiences online issues and problems in methodology. EU Kids Online Network, London, UK.
Link to survey and other materials of potential value to future researchers.
Permission to use these materials
Anyone may use these resources: we just ask you to credit EU Kids Online as the source, and keep us in touch with your results by emailing us at Eukidsonline@lse.ac.uk.
Our preferred credit would read: This [article/chapter/report/presentation/project] draws on the work of the 'EU Kids Online' network funded by the EC (DG Information Society) Safer Internet Programme (project code SIP-KEP-321803); see www.eukidsonline.net.
These resources are made available by EU Kids Online under the Attributive Non-Commercial Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC 2.0 UK).