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The Date Rape Research Methodology

Although date rape has been addressed by researchers in the past decades, it remains a serious problem in different countries. Both qualitative and quantitative methods can be chosen as most conducive in the research on date rape in university campuses. For example, qualitative research will allow gathering information and observing the participants of the study in their natural environment. Quantitative research, in turn, will allow analyzing the data collected and performing statistical techniques to identify certain tendencies of finding answers to the research questions. It can be argued that descriptive research would be least conducive to such a study because, in this type of research, the data is collected randomly and cannot be used to represent the whole population.

Employing closed-ended questions in the interviews for this study would have certain advantages and disadvantages. First, this type of questions would not require too much of the participants’ time, as they would just have to select one of the available answers. Due to that, participants might be more likely to respond, despite the fact that the topic of the research may seem upsetting or sensitive to some of them. However, this also causes some of the main disadvantages of using closed-ended questions in this study, which are the lack of detailed information and bias resulted from suggestive statements. Open-ended questions, on the other hand, are time-consuming and have a lower response rate, but would allow participants to provide more detailed and subjective information on their experiences and perceptions of date rape.

To ensure that the interview with the subjects of my study is productive, I would have to establish a good rapport with them. First, I would choose a convenient setting with as few distractions as possible. I would introduce myself to the participants and shortly explain the purpose of the study, its relevance and objectives, as well as the format in which the interview will be conducted. I would express interest in the respondents’ experiences and ask some neutral questions to facilitate the information flow. I would ask if any of them had any questions they would like to clarify before the interview. In addition, I would address the issue of confidentiality, informing the subjects of the study about the parties that will have access to their responses. If there was a need to use some of my subjects’ comments in quotes, I would ask for their written permission. Finally, I would ask open-ended questions on the topic of the study to avoid limiting the participants in their answers.

Regardless of the research methods used, there are some ways in which gender may affect the viability of my study. For example, since the overwhelming majority of date rape victims are female, teenage girls and college-age women are more likely to feel vulnerable when sharing their experiences and perceptions of the issue in question. This may cause them to avoid responding to the survey questions or giving clear and honest answers. Male respondents can also give misleading answers when interviewed by a female; for example, they “have been found to inflate their number of sexual partners when being surveyed by a woman” (Katz, 2018, par. 2). To minimize these gender-related risks, I would ask the participants if they felt more comfortable with a male or female interviewer. Depending on their answers, I would choose experimenters that would be more likely to establish contact with those participants.

Reference

Katz, B. (2018). Scientists’ gender may influence the results of experiments. Smithsonian Magazine. Web.

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StudyKraken. (2023, April 5). The Date Rape Research Methodology. Retrieved from https://studykraken.com/the-date-rape-research-methodology/

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1. StudyKraken. "The Date Rape Research Methodology." April 5, 2023. https://studykraken.com/the-date-rape-research-methodology/.


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StudyKraken. "The Date Rape Research Methodology." April 5, 2023. https://studykraken.com/the-date-rape-research-methodology/.

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StudyKraken. 2023. "The Date Rape Research Methodology." April 5, 2023. https://studykraken.com/the-date-rape-research-methodology/.

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StudyKraken. (2023) 'The Date Rape Research Methodology'. 5 April.

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