Screens and clouds
Methodological changes and ethical dilemmas when researching digital literacy socialisation of a toddler
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19224644 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Kaushalya Perera (0000-0001-6814-2265, University of Colombo), Lihini Nilaweera (University of Colombo) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-30 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Qualitative Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1468-7941 • E-ISSN: 1741-3109 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/14687941261442122 |
| OpenAlex | W7160286158 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 32 |
This article reviews methodological changes made to a qualitative study on the digital literacy practices of a toddler (starting from 1 year and 9 months). The catalyst for these changes was the Covid19 pandemic as experienced in Sri Lanka which led to the exploration of some important questions related to research methodology and ethics. Due to the pandemic, data was collected and conveyed entirely through digital means. Using field notes from the researchers, interviews with one parent and data from the child's literacy activities, we discuss methodological changes that were effected during this time and three other significant issues: the importance of prior relationships between researchers and participants, and how that relationship functioned and evolved during the study; some ethical dilemmas that we faced while researching intimate family settings through screens; and a reflection on children's agency in research about them. Through these reflections, the article brings about a more reflexive consideration of ethics and methodology in researching the child, the family and the digital
Agency (philosophy) · Digital Literacy · Field (mathematics) · Literacy · Participant observation · Qualitative research · Reflexivity · Structure and agency · Toddler · Child Development and Digital Technology · Digital Communication and Language · Literacy, Media, and Education
Online Interviews as New Methodological Normalcy and a Space of Ethics
Ethics Beyond the Checklist
Of Late Alarms, Long Queues, and Online Attendances
A Systematic Review of Reported Assent Methodology in Early Childhood Research
Exploring Korean parents’ meanings of digital play for young children
Sybil and the screen
Making sense of ‘slippages’
Naked by the Pool? Blurring the Image? Ethical Issues in the Portrayal of Young Children in Arts-Based Educational Research
Feeling our way
It's More Complicated Than It Seems
Is that what I Said?' Interview Transcript Approval by Participants
Achieving co-presence when together and apart
Digitally shaped ethnographic relationships during a global pandemic and beyond
Participatory video from a distance
I like this interview; I get cakes and cats
Make yourself at home
From Relating to (Re)Presenting
Telling Secrets, Revealing Lives
| Highly cited | No |
|---|