Involving Young People in research: Lessons from the 10 MMM Project in South Western Victoria

Abstract

The paper outlines the 10MMM (Multi-Media Mayhem across 10 towns) project which commenced in 2002 in Southern Grampians Shire in rural Victoria. The project is an interagency initiative aimed at decreasing social isolation and stimulating the expression of a youth voice through multimedia tools (Brumby et al. 2007). It is a participatory research project involving children and young people (aged 12-20) with RMIT University staff involved as mentors and observers. The paper focuses in particular on the 2007-08 Your Say report as part of the Rural Young People, Technology and Wellbeing research project (Marshall et al. 2008), and on the issues raised by the involvement of young people as researchers in the project. The report focused on how young people's aspirations and social relationships are impacted by technology. The results of the Your Say survey questioned some of the conventional wisdom surrounding use of information and communication technology (ICT). The survey was undertaken by a group of young people who designed and implemented the survey. The training of young people as researchers raised some challenges: the ways cultural codes were managed, the extent of empowerment that took place, the benefits and limitations of using young people as researchers with extensive control over the project (e.g. related to validity of data), and strategies for implementing the current (final) phase of the project. There are important learnings that have occurred in this project, and the paper explores what worked and didn't work in 10MMM and how the key issues relating to the involvement of young people in research have been addressed