Designs and Methods for Youth - led Research

The journey an author takes before deciding to write a book usually covers an extended period of time that is measured best in years or decades rather than weeks or months. My journey is no exception. Invariably one scholarly publication, book or article, for example, leads to another which in turn builds on the previous one and explores some new dimension of the subject matter. Writing this book is best described as just that: a “journey.” At first, the writing represented a daunting task. However, it slowly, but surely, emerged as a terrific and ever-wonderful ride that started in charted territory but quickly entered uncharted territory for me; it crossed temporal periods, national boundaries, continents, and oceans. It entailed reading reports, articles, and books, which quickly broadened my conception of youth-led research. Although I have considered myself a willing passenger on this journey, I realized rather quickly that this trip would be unlike any previous trips I have taken in writing a book. This, I believe, speaks well for the nature of this field, how it interconnects with youth development and youth led efforts, and how quickly it has evolved during the period of time that this book was conceptualized and written. The writing of a book, unlike the writing of an article or book chapter, affords an author an unprecedented opportunity that is simply not possible in other forms of publishing: to explore a subject in depth. Thus, in my case, it meant starting out with a vision of what the “end product” would be, with the realization that this product would necessitate many twists and turns along the way. This is exciting from an author’s perspective but is not without its share of anxieties and challenges, since the journey of writing a book must ultimately not exceed a set, agreed-on number of words. My decision to write a book on youth-led research is one that has a history spanning several decades. I have a long history of practice.