Research

One of the principal missions of the CDL is to encourage and facilitate research. To this end, the CDL staff is committed to working cooperatively with researchers interested in issues of family, child development, and early childhood education. Dozens of projects - from student observations associated with class projects to large-scale faculty research programs - are supported by the CDL.

At the same time, the CDL serves as an advocate for both parents and children who participate in research projects. To ensure that participation in research projects enhances a child's educational experience at the CDL, prospective projects must receive approval by the Director and prospective researchers must demonstrate competence at working with young children.

Prospective projects are reviewed for compliance with professional ethics codes and for the degree of disruption generated for CDL educational programs. We believe that teaching and research programs share a joint interest in improving the lives of families and children, and encourage researchers to distribute their findings to parents and teachers as well as to other researchers. Below are guidelines for research involving the children, parents and staff of the CDL.

Registration of Research Projects

The CDL supports both naturalistic, observation-based projects and staged research experiences in which the child interacts with researchers, teachers, peers or materials. All projects must be registered and approved by the Director. The following procedures are observed:

1. Registration:

1. A completed Research Project Application, provided by the CDL. (Forms may be obtained from the CDL office, room 140 in the Human Development Center)
2. A copy of project approval by the University of Connecticut Human Subjects Committee
3. A copy of Parental Permission Request Form and informational letter to parents
4. Proof of approval by faculty sponsor, if student-conducted research

2. Criteria for Project Review

1. Compliance with professional ethics codes for conducting research
2. The degree of disruption for CDL programs
3. The demands of current research projects on available resources.