Researching Sensitive Topics (SAGE Focus Editions)

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 Research

Claire M. Renzetti, PhD, is the Judi Conway Patton Endowed Chair in the Center for Research on Violence Against Women, and Professor and Chair of the Sociology Department at the University of Kentucky. She is editor of the international, interdisciplinary journal, Violence Against Women; co-editor with Jeffrey Edleson of the Interpersonal Violence book series for Oxford University Press; and editor of the Gender and Justice book series for University of California Press. She has authored or edited 25 books as well as numerous book chapters and articles in professional journals. Much of her research has focused on the violent victimization experiences of socially and economically marginalized women. Her current research includes studies examining the relationship between religiosity and intimate partner violence perpetration, an evaluation of a horticultural therapy program at a shelter for battered women, and a study of potential jurors’ prototypes of sex trafficking victims and perpetrators. She has held elected and appointed leadership positions in national and regional professional organizations, and has been honored with awards for her work to improve the quality of life and the health and safety of women.