Creative strategies for pediatric nursing research: data collection.

As the researcher contemplates the design and methodology of a study involving children, the age and maturity of the child are key factors for consideration. A good understanding of the child's cognitive and developmental level of functioning will greatly facilitate the explanation to the child and the process of obtaining data from the child. The successful outcome of a study may depend on how well the investigator uses this knowledge and is able to make appropriate adaptations in data collection to meet the requirements of the study design.