Involving fathers in research

Although there is a wealth of literature exploring parents' views both on the impact of children's conditions on their families and their experiences of caring for their children, many of the studies primarily present mothers' opinions, with the fathers' views reported by proxy, often via their partners. This anomaly has been highlighted in recent years, and there has been an increase in the publication of studies that have sought fathers' views. Recruiting and interviewing fathers can present a different set of challenges to involving mothers. Drawing on some of the literature and on our own experience of accessing fathers' thoughts and stories, we would like to suggest some factors to consider in the design and implementation of studies that seek to include this group