A framework for researching Global Kids Online: understanding children’s well-being and rights in the digital age

This guide introduces the Global Kids Online research framework. It is recommended that this guide is read carefully to understand the aims, structure and contribution of the Global Kids Online project, toolkit, and emerging findings. The guide begins by identifying the global research challenge of researching children’s internet and mobile use as more children go online around the world. A review of available statistics and research literature shows that the evidence based to date is uneven, with many gaps that urgently need to be filled. This is vital if stakeholders are to base their policy and practice on robust evidence regarding the online risks and opportunities as well as outcomes for children’s wellbeing and rights. The guide highlights the overarching research questions and defines the main terms used throughout Global Kids Online. It then provides a step-by-step rationale for the Global Kids Online model, showing how individual, social and country levels of explanation all contribute to analysing and measuring the influences on children’s rights in the digital age. This effort poses a number of challenges for researchers, and these are identified and best practice solutions suggested.