Methods Section

The purpose of this methods section is to clearly explain for both my readers and myself how I went about gathering my data.  It needs to explain who my participants were, how i found them, who was included and excluded and why.  It also needs to tell readers what information I gathered from respondents, how I got it out of them, what methods i used to record it, and any other details that would be necessary for them to fully replicate my research.  My target audience for this section is a demographic used to the scientific method, without using language that will necessarily alienate any of my readers who are newcomers to the field of sexology.

Participants for this study were 30 currently enrolled IUP students taken from six commonly identified sexuality demographics: male (straight, mainstream/typical), male (straight/feminist), male (gay/bisexual), female (straight, mainstream/typical), female (straight/gender activist), female (gay/bisexual).  Age of respondents ranged from 19-25 years old (mean=21.3).  The interviewer explained the concept of informed consent to the participants, then administered the 9 item interview, which included the following items:

1)  What is oral sex?  How do you define it, and what qualifies as oral sex?

2)  Do you participate in oral sex?

3)  What are your beliefs on oral sex?  Is it positive or negative, do you prefer to give or receive, when is it appropriate, and what are your conditions for good or bad oral?

4)  Why do you engage in oral sex?  What activities do you participate in?  How often, with who, when, how, and how might this differ from your previously stated beliefs?

5)  What does oral sex mean to you?  When you have oral sex, is it the focus of your sexual activity, or is it a form of foreplay?

6)  What types of protection do you know of when engaging in oral sex, e.g. dental dams, condoms, getting tested with a partner beforehand, hoping for the best?  How important is protection during oral sex and why?

7)  Who gives and who receives more, you or your partner(s)?  Also, do you think men or women are more likely to give or receive oral sex?  Are you more likely to be pleasuring someone else or laying back and enjoying yourself?  Additionally, what do you prefer your role to be, and do you find yourself normally in that role, or are you getting what you want less often in order to please your partner(s)?

8 ) Do you compare current and former partners; or how about yourself?  Do you have certain preconceptions that you feel you must measure up to in pleasuring someone?  What preconceptions might these be, and what standards do you have for a partner?  Where do these standards come from?

9) Is your decision to engage or not engage in oral sex affected by you or your partner’s sexual history?

The questions listed above were constructed by researchers via polling individuals from the identified demographics.  Pilot subjects were asked, “if you were trying to understand another person’s beliefs and practices regarding oral sex, what questions would you ask them?  How about these questions: what needs to be  changed or added to this list for you to feel comfortable answering them and to think that an interviewer has gathered an accurate gauge of your oral sex beliefs and practices?”  After synthesizing the responses from those preliminary questions, the previously listed questionnaire used for this research project was constructed.

Interviews were conducted orally, with the researcher initially using a tape recording device to record the interviews. The interviews were subsequently transcribed into a word processing document in basic question and answer text format.

The purpose of this methods section was to clearly explain for both my readers and myself how I went about gathering my data.  It explained who my participants were, how I found them, who was included and excluded and why.  It also told readers what information I gathered from respondents, how I got it out of them, what methods i used to record it, and other details that would be necessary for them to fully replicate my research.  My target audience for this section was a demographic used to the scientific method, without using language that will necessarily alienate any of my readers who are newcomers to the field of sexology.