It's our Science, our Society, our Health A collaborative research project to engage young people in public health science

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What have we found so far? Some students have chosen projects around the expected ‘tracer’ themes, vaccination and asthma, but many have chosen international public health topics rather than issues specifically relevant to their local area. Themes identified from preliminary analysis of student interviews include freedom, trust and scientific integrity. Themes: Freedom "I was saying that…if I was talking about freedom I didn’t necessarily mean that we didn’t have to do work and things… it was more like we had freedom to choose what kind of things we wanted to research, how we do it, whereas in school you’re told what to do, you’re given a specific topic even if you don’t like it… I’m more willing to actually do the research and things because I know it’s something that I’m interested in, so….it’s a freedom of choice.." Excerpt from interview transcript, project member (age 15), 2005 Themes: Trust "They [school teachers] kind-of make you feel like that they can’t trust you because they’ve given you something to do, they don’t trust you to choose something for yourself that’s actually gonna be, not difficult but challenging…but from what we’ve all chosen [during LSHTM work experience] I think they’re not difficult but challenging.." Excerpt from interview transcript, project member (age 15), 2005 Themes: Scientific integrity "So if you were asked to describe a scientist now what would you say were the most important qualities or elements in a scientist…?" "well, they’ve got to…be down to earth…and care about the people that they’re working with, rather than caring about their reputation…" Excerpt from interview transcript, project member (age 15), 2005