Researching Sensitive Topics

Cults, child abuse, AIDS, governmental policies, marital rape--increasingly social scientists are called upon to research topics that are "sensitive" in the sense that they deal with behavior that is intimate, discreditable, or incriminating. Such topics pose not only difficult technical problems, but also include wider issues regarding the ethics and politics of research which are most clearly seen on sensitive topics. Yet, to date, no resource has existed which effectively guides researchers in conducting sensitive research--until now. Researching Sensitive Topics acquaints researchers with the tools and experiences of colleagues on how to conduct such research. A team of distinguished researchers from a variety of disciplines (psychology, sociology, public health, nursing, anthropology, and public policy) explores such issues as cross-cultural research, disclosure and the dissemination of research findings, feminist methodologies, and self-censorship. USE FOR NEXT AD (9/26/94): "The book offers excellent advice for any researcher investigating any topic involving humans, using any method, quantitative or qualitative. . . . The essays are both easy to read and easy to relate to, and the learning that results is invaluable. It is suggested for use by practitioners, by scholars, and in the classroom." --Journal of Marketing Research "While the contributions to the knowledge of specific topical areas makes this book fascinating, it is the overall methodological implications which make this book so valuable." --Qualitative Health ResearchRenzetti, Claire M. is the author of 'Researching Sensitive Topics' with ISBN 9780803948440 and ISBN 0803948441.