About the register

 

A considerable amount of child protection research has been carried out in the UK in recent decades. Having access to, and knowledge of, this research is vital if child abuse and neglect are to be understood and responded to effectively and ideally if they are to be prevented. This register aims to become the first comprehensive record of completed and ongoing child protection research in the UK. It is being continually updated and is freely available to all interested individuals or organisations in the UK and abroad.

The register exists in both a searchable electronic form and a downloadable PDF, the UK Register of Child Protection Research - Volume 1. It comprises structured summaries of hundreds of child protection research projects. These summaries include the type of information that is typically found in the abstracts of research publications, for example, aims, methodology and findings. They also contain further information on the research projects in question, including details of the researchers, the funding background and publications. This will help users contextualise individual studies and alert them to where they can obtain much fuller information on specific research projects.

This resource also contains links to a number of UK and foreign-based child protection research-related resources, such as other databases, clearing houses and journals. These links supplement the register and are intended to make it an even more substantial resource in terms of child protection knowledge.

This website marks the publication of information from the first two phases of data collection - comprehensive surveys that took place in 1997 and 2002-2003. It also represents a new phase of data collection, in that new research projects or amendments to existing projects can now be submitted to the register online on an ongoing basis, by anyone and at any time.

The register is an ambitious undertaking, which is still developing. It currently captures what is probably only a modest proportion of all UK child protection studies and some of the ones it has captured are incomplete. Considerable effort is being invested in making it a much more complete record of child protection research in the UK. This will make the register an even more valuable resource for all of those who are concerned with child protection including policy makers, practitioners, academics, funding bodies, advocacy and service user groups, the media and the general public.

If you have any feedback and comments regarding the register, please contact the team.