Children Learning Leadership From Meerkats — Nine Sessions of Research Data

Introduction

What does it look like when six-year-olds learn about leadership by studying how meerkats run a colony?

This dataset exists so that question can be answered by anyone — not just the authors. Nine sessions of raw observation data, audio transcript excerpts, and video transcript excerpts are published here independently from the forthcoming analytical paper. The separation is deliberate: the data is the evidence, the paper will be the argument. A researcher who disagrees with the paper's interpretation can return to this dataset and build a different one.

Repository & Access

• Meerkat Bio-leadership Dataset (DOI)

Official Record Description

The following description is reproduced verbatim from the published Zenodo record:

All participant and facilitator names have been fully anonymised. Data is presented in three structured documents formatted for use as supplementary material in research.

This dataset was collected using the Blue Blocks Embedded Observer Protocol (BEOP, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19087415) for consent and observation procedures, within the Micro Research Ethics Framework (MREF, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19047669). The study methodology follows the Blue Blocks Micro Research Methodology (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18584816). The dataset is published independently from the forthcoming analytical paper to enable independent verification and secondary analysis.

Anonymisation

All participant and facilitator names fully anonymised. Participant codes used consistently across all three documents.

Dataset Contents

Coding and Structure

The observer notes are structured by session, with each session record containing: date, age group, participant count, activity description, observed leadership transitions (who led, how leadership shifted, whether it was claimed or assigned), signal systems created by children, group coherence indicators, problem-solving approaches, and cross-session patterns noted by the observer.

Audio transcripts are organised thematically rather than chronologically — excerpts are grouped by topic (sentinel role understanding, leadership analogies, burrow design ideation, child-generated problem scenarios) to enable thematic analysis across sessions.

Video transcripts follow the same thematic structure, covering burrow design presentations, child-generated questions directed at meerkats (a metacognitive exercise), and child-presented challenge cards.

Participant codes are used consistently across all three documents. The same child can be traced across observer notes, audio transcripts, and video transcripts using their code without any identifying information being exposed.

Anonymisation and Ethics

No identifying information appears anywhere in this dataset — participant codes are used consistently across all three documents, allowing cross-referencing without exposure. The coding scheme was applied before any data left the session room.

Parental consent was obtained under the Blue Blocks Embedded Observer Protocol (BEOP) before data collection began. Children were not aware they were being observed for research purposes — from their perspective, the Meerkat Colony Activity was a normal part of their school programme. This is the Embedded Observer Principle in practice: observation from within the child's trusted environment, not observation introduced by external researchers.

Related Publication

The analytical paper interpreting this dataset is forthcoming. When published, a direct link will be added here and a reciprocal DOI link will be added to the Zenodo record. This dataset can be used independently for secondary analysis, replication, or comparative research.

Governance

This dataset was collected under three BBMRI institutional standards:

• Micro-Research Methodology (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18584816) — the methodological framework governing data collection procedures
• BEOP v1.0 (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19087415) — the consent and observation protocol under which all sessions were conducted
• MREF v1.0 (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19047669) — the ethics framework governing research with minors

Reuse and Citation

This dataset is published under CC BY 4.0 — you may reuse, redistribute, and build upon it for any purpose, provided you give appropriate credit.

How to Cite (APA)

Blue Blocks Micro Research Institute, Rao, S., Chakraborty, S., Goyal, P., & Matta, S. (2026). The Meerkat Model Of Bio-Leadership: Using Biomimicry To Embody Leadership Principles In Children — Dataset [Data set]. Blue Blocks Micro Research Institute. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19467584

For secondary analysis or data reuse enquiries, contact: research@blueblocks.in

Cross-References

• Publications Index
• Governance — Ethics
• Governance — Standards

This record is maintained as part of the Blue Blocks Micro Research Institute open archival framework to support governance transparency, citation permanence, and research continuity.

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