Take part in a study

To carry out child language research we rely on the help of hundreds of parents and children who are on our volunteer list. If you have a child aged 0-5 years and are interested in taking part in one of our studies, then you can join our list. Our studies take place in Lancaster, Liverpool and Manchester and you should register via the relevant link(s) below:

If you join the volunteer list you are not, at this stage, agreeing to take part in a study. You are simply agreeing to be contacted about future studies.

What's involved in a typical visit?

If you have registered with us and your child is the right age for one of our studies, we will give you a call, email or write you. We will describe our study, and if you are happy to take part in it, we will arrange a convenient time for your visit.

When you and your child arrive at one of our babylabs, a friendly researcher will welcome you and offer you a drink. We will explain the study to you again and will answer any questions you might have. We will also give you a consent form to sign, saying that you are happy for your baby to participate.

Once everyone is comfortable we will move to a nearby room to start the study. You will be with your child at all times. Normally, your child will sit on a chair or on your lap. After the study we will answer any questions you might have. Usually everybody has a fun time!

You can also bring along siblings, and one of our researchers will play with them while your child is doing the study.

Research Ethics

All of our studies are approved by the ethics committees at the relevant University. Information about your child is confidential and all data is kept anonymous. Personal details will be kept securely and only for the purpose stated. You can ask for your details to be removed from our database at any time.