ABSTRACT
This chapter explains different approaches to research; namely positivism, interpretivism and action research. It provides an overview of the challenges involved in research in the Early Years, notably the importance of finding ways of capturing the authentic voice of the child in research investigations. The chapter examines some of the issues to be resolved when conducting research with children who have Special Educational Needs (SEN). It also examines the implications of the children's rights agenda and its relationship to research, most notably the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Action research is committed to the idea of 'improving practice'. Rather than gathering data and generalising the research findings (which is central to the positivist approach), action researchers start from the presumption that what they are looking at is 'particular' and 'specific'. There are ethical considerations that need to be made when researching with younger children with SEN.
