Collaborative Writing of the Open Access Book for young people ‘Queer and in Care. Journeys through care being young and LGBTQIA+’
Open Research objectives/practices
Our case study aligns with two key objectives and practices. First, by publishing our open access book with the University of Groningen Press (UGP), the outputs from two research projects are now freely accessible, significantly broadening their reach and ensuring a wider audience can engage with the findings. Second, we have incorporated open and participatory methods throughout the entire research process, embracing the rising focus on 'citizen science' and encouraging youths' involvement in scientific research and knowledge dissemination.
Introduction
Audre and Firmus are two participatory research projects focused on the needs and experiences of LGBTQIA+ youth in contact with child protection systems in the Netherlands and Spain, respectively. These projects aim to give young people a central role in various stages of the research process, particularly during the dissemination of findings to a broad audience. In 2022, we published the Open Access book "Working with LGBTQIA+ youth in the child welfare system" (UGP), written collaboratively with youth and professionals. The book serves as a guide for practitioners seeking to provide more affirming and respectful care for LGBTQIA+ youth in child protection settings. Following this publication, youth who participated in the project offered both critique and a proposal: while we had done much to publish for the scientific community and practitioners, they felt we weren’t reaching other youth who, like them, had to navigate the child protection system. This inspired the idea for a new book: a love letter and guide to help LGBTQIA+ youth in care navigate the child protection system, for youth, written collaboratively with a little help from a supportive academic community at the University of Groningen and beyond. We are currently working on the final version of the manuscript ‘Queer and in Care. Journeys through care being young and LGBTQIA+’, which we plan to publish in early 2025. We are also working on an Instagram page and a website, where LGBTQIA+ youth in different countries can find additional support resources.
Motivation
Research on LGBTQIA+ youth has expanded in recent years, yet they are frequently excluded from conversations about their own well-being, limiting their right to participate in society. This exclusion reinforces stereotypes and ignores the complexity of their identities, contributing to their stigma. As a result, much of the research reflects adult viewpoints, overlooking the true needs and experiences of LGBTQIA+ youth. Engaging youth directly in research is critical for understanding their challenges, advancing their rights, and developing social policies that enhance their well-being. Furthermore, the agency and space to influence what we produce, how we produce it and for whom, is paramount in participatory practices. This also includes engaging with challenging questions about what are underlying processes that enable participatory practices, what is valued as knowledge, who has access to and ownership of knowledge production.
Lessons learned
The experience of working with youth in participatory research projects has confirmed one undeniable truth: young people are fully capable of contributing to scientific research. Their enthusiasm, skills and motivation challenge the traditional notion of who is entitled to knowledge production. Our projects show how important collaborative spaces are in order for people to engage with issues that affect their lives and see themselves as active agents in science and society.
We believe that it is essential to critically examine our roles as adult researchers and assess our capacity to adopt flexible and inclusive research practices. We’ve learned our teams need to adapt, retrain ourselves to use accessible language and make sure that the timing of our activities works for them. This accessibility goes beyond simple adjustments; it’s about creating spaces that respect their lives, schedules, and realities. And including people from the start by building and shaping projects together.
Projects like these also require substantial support, including financial backing. Youth engagement demands a significant time commitment, and their dedication deserves proper compensation. This means building larger budgets that not only cover the fieldwork costs but also honor the contributions of the young people involved.
Moreover, these initiatives require shifting the power dynamics in research. By engaging young people as co-creators of knowledge, we help to dismantle the hierarchies of expertise that have long dominated academia.
URLs, references and further information
This is the book for practitioners we published in 2022:
| Last modified: | 11 November 2024 1.26 p.m. |