Background paper to the symposium/workshop on "Infectious Disease among Children in Conflict Situations: Risk, Resilience and Response" held in Manila 9-12 January, 2006. Hart, J., & Tyrer, B. (2006). Research with children living in situations of armed conflict : Concepts, ethics and methods. Oxford : Refugee Studies Centre.

Introduction -- Section 1: Thinking about children in armed conflict -- "Children" and Childhood" across cultures -- "Childhood" as a social construction -- Rationale for contextualised, children-centered research -- Children and agency -- Challenges and opportunities of conflict -- Children as victims -- Finding a path between "agency" and "victimhood" -- Child protection -- Vulnerability -- Protection issues in conflict -- Children's self-protection -- Why participation? -- Cheldren's right to participate -- Other motivations for children's participation -- Difficulties and hazards for participation -- Participation in research -- Section 2: Ethical issues in research with children living amidst armed conflict -- Taking proper account of conflict -- Preparation -- Adult-child power relations -- Power relations amongst children -- Rewards -- Informed consent -- Gender dimensions of research -- Confidentiality and anonymity -- Immediate consequences of the research encounter -- Dissemination -- Section 3: Methods for research with children living amidst armed conflict -- Inclusivity, non-discrimination and representativeness -- Selection of tools -- Age appropriateness -- Cultural appropriateness -- Sequencing and combination of tools -- Degrees of participation -- Intra-group dynamics -- The role of the adult researcher -- Types of tools -- Validation and ensuring reliability