Where is the value in young researchers?

So I have to take issue with the remarks made in The NYA pages a few weeks ago on developments in the promotion of research undertaken by young people (CYP Now, 28 May-3 June).

The formation of the Young Researcher Network is fine and a useful counterbalance to the research of specialists and academics, but to assert that the research findings produced will mean "better, less tokenistic and more impactful results" is, quite frankly, rather pathetic. Like any research, it all depends.

For at least a decade attention has been given to the place of young people in what might broadly be called youth research. It has been recognised for some time that the perspectives of young people are likely to be useful at the points of design, development, implementation, evaluation and dissemination of such research. It has, I concede, been less of an issue as to whether or not young people should be doing the research themselves, although this has not been entirely dismissed.