Researchers face many challenges as they plan and implement studies of children. An understanding of research strategies enables students to separate dependable information from misleading results and to conduct their own investigations. Research usually begins with a hypothesis--a prediction about behavior drawn directly from a theory--or with a research question. The researcher then selects one or more research methods to use in the investigation, such as systematic observations, self-reports, psychophysiological methods, clinical methods, or ethnography. Once the researcher chooses the research methods, it is important to make sure that the procedures are reliable and valid and provide trustworthy information.

Next, the researcher chooses a research design, an overall plan for the study that permits the best possible test of the research idea. Two main types of designs, the correlational design and the experimental design, are used in research on human behavior. Longitudinal, cross-sectional, and longitudinal-sequential designs are uniquely suited for studying development. In the microgenetic design, researchers track change as it occurs.

Research involving children raises special ethical concerns. Ethical guidelines for research and special committees determine if the benefits of research outweigh the risks and help ensure that children's rights are protected.