Poz Gay Grad Student Needs Your Help

[BootmanLA]

9 hours ago, on2thenxt87 said:

Thank you @DCSluthole for your comments. I really appreciate you being willing to volunteer info about your participation and experience so far.

I also want to take the opportunity to note that all recorded interviews and research info is stored on an encrypted flash drive that only I have the access code, and once I finish transcribing the interviews the recordings are deleted. My thesis advisor will not even hear them... just me. Other than the email address used to contact me, which I also immediately delete after the interview is over, I do not ask for any identifiable info from guys.

If your advisor has signed off on this destruction of materials, then that's one thing, but if that's something you've chosen to do on your own, I urge you to rethink this, for a couple of reasons.

First: it's not unknown for there to be challenges later to your research (not in this area in particular, but in general). It happens not only with academic research, but professional research as well. In particular, in the sciences, some may well question whether your sources were real, etc.

Having those recordings, and not just your notes, will help validate your research. What you don't want to do is end up in a situation where someone is alleging you made up most of your interviewees, and you don't have any concrete way to prove they existed.

And even if your adviser has signed off on this: remember that you, not he (or she) will be on the hot seat if your research is challenged. All told, I would look into other options for long-term storage of the original material, even if encrypted, so that you can retrieve it if need be.

[Guest]

Hi I like your dedicated research and approach

You include gays from Denmark?

Xx Carsten 

[Guest]

On 7/24/2022 at 6:29 PM, ErosWired said:

The unfortunate reality you face is that what you may be attempting to do in good faith, scores of others have already attempted in bad faith and left little trust in their wake.

I moderate another discussion site dedicated to mental health, and have done so for the past 17 years. In that time, due to the nature of the site, attempts by university students at both the undergraduate and graduate level to recruit members of the site by such posts as yours have been a regular occurrence. Because of the vulnerable nature of our member community, we have done extra diligence when such posts occur to ensure the legitimacy of the research. Our experience has been that vast majority of such attempts are made by students who do not have the sanction of their institution, do not have the approval of the relevant ethics authority, have rudimentary or even no firm methodology established, and/or - most critically - have no means of guaranteeing the privacy of participants or the security of their information. I am not “scared” to respond to your proposal; what you have presented, the way you presented it, simply demands too much trust. If you want to be taken seriously, it’s not enough anymore, regrettably, to say that you’re willing to be transparent - you have to prove that you’re solid.

You are a graduate student, not as yet a research professional. Your research may indeed be a legitimate effort (as I acknowledged initially) with a serious and well-planned study, backed by your institution. The way you have made your proposal here, however, is not unlike many I have seen by students with less preparation and, as I indicated, could even be construed, given the context, as a pretext for an online sexual contact. That the first step in your plan to recruit study participants is so dubiously executed does not inspire confidence. Neither does the fact that you are yourself a participant in the group from which you are attempting to draw data, potentially opening the study to questions of bias, and this leaves one to wonder how thoroughly all factors may have been taken into account.

 I have no role in the moderation of this site, but I do not apologize for speaking out in a way that might cause fellow members here to approach your request with caution. Given the nature of our discourse here, a breach of confidentiality could affect someone very seriously.

I am not in any way opposed to your research effort - If your protocols are as secure and developed as you say, then I wish you well with it. I do not tell others here not to speak to you - these are all grown men perfectly capable of making their own judgments about risk. Indeed, that’s mainly what we talk about here. I do, however, believe strongly in making sure a person makes informed decisions. Some people are quite content to have their dental work done at a school of dentistry; others less so.

You don’t have to be so hard on the guy. 

[Guest]

Hi All — so I just completed my interview with the OP.  The interview lasted about 1.5 hours. The OP was on camera for the duration of the interview; I remained off camera (with my camera off) and provided the same pseudonym I had used since first volunteering with the OP.

The video call was from a google account I created using that pseudonym and was initiated by me. With the exception of general demographics (age, gender, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity), no other identifying questions were asked of me (so he knows I am a 48 year old gay white male). 

The OP was professional and thoughtful in both his questions and follow-ups to my answers throughout the interview session.  From his questions and follow-ups, it is clear he has his own prior experiences within the “hookup”/anonymous sex community — something that I found comforting and, more practically, enabled greater freedom in sharing my experiences (especially since there was shared vernacular and relatability). 

Overall, this was a great experience that offered me an opportunity to share my own experiences and discuss my views/perspectives in a welcoming and nonjudgmental context. I am pleased my participation may aid in his research.

You should make your own choices, but I can attest to the fact that this was a wholly professional (and even enjoyable) interview and I encourage others to consider contributing their own time and experiences to support the OP’s research study. 

If you have any questions or concerns s about participating, please feel free to DM or post questions on this thread. 
 

Full disclosure: OP did not ask me to post this; in fact, I offered to share my experience with the interview process in hopes it might help on his volunteer recruitment efforts. 

[Guest]

17 hours ago, BootmanLA said:

If your advisor has signed off on this destruction of materials, then that's one thing, but if that's something you've chosen to do on your own, I urge you to rethink this, for a couple of reasons.

First: it's not unknown for there to be challenges later to your research (not in this area in particular, but in general). It happens not only with academic research, but professional research as well. In particular, in the sciences, some may well question whether your sources were real, etc.

Having those recordings, and not just your notes, will help validate your research. What you don't want to do is end up in a situation where someone is alleging you made up most of your interviewees, and you don't have any concrete way to prove they existed.

And even if your adviser has signed off on this: remember that you, not he (or she) will be on the hot seat if your research is challenged. All told, I would look into other options for long-term storage of the original material, even if encrypted, so that you can retrieve it if need be.

Thanks for mentioning this @BootmanLA. I really had not thought of this concern. Unfortunately, it was actually the IRB of my institution that wants me to destroy the recordings after they are transcribed as a way to protect people's anonymity. This is actually pretty standard for a project dealing with such a sensitive and stigmatized topic. However, I do keep the transcripts for a total of three years, which is the standard amount of time that IRBs usually ask researchers to hold on to materials after the data has been collected. If there was any issues, I could always present those transcripts.

[Guest]

I'm not going to volunteer, but I am curious about the results of the research.

Will you post the report  or a summary here when you are done?

[funpozbottom]

OMG! I go away for a week and look what happens!  I just have one final comment on your comments to my comments:

  You said, "...there really is not much else I can do for guys that aren't willing to at least ask for the materials to review."

That was exactly my point. If you produce an ad/announcement that seems like it could be a scam, most people are simply going to turn away. (And to be honest, my first reaction to your ad was that it looks like it came out of the personals section of an '80's smut mag. The only reason I responded was because you had been somewhat vetted by the mods. If I had seen your post in the wild, I would have steered clear.) It doesn't matter whether your study is legit. It doesn't matter how well designed your research is. If a person's gut reaction on reading your ad is that it seems a little sus, that person will most likely not respond, and you potentially lose data for your research.

Another reason I personally wouldn't do an interview is that I have difficulty articulating my thoughts, verbally. It totally stresses me out. I need time to consider what I want to say and usually do better with written responses. That is why I mentioned an on line questionnaire (not a survey).  You said you could provide a list of questions you would ask in an interview, and the interview would be (somewhat) anonymous, plus, you are transcribing your interviews, so why couldn't you make your questions available in an on line questionnaire? You could still do interviews or additional followup interviews or emails for those willing to provide additional info, Providing a second means of data collection might increase data for your research.

There may be reasons you designed the study the way you did. There may be reasons you want a small sample.  You may even have reasoned that the number of people who don't respond because of issues I've stated or other factors would be insignificant, however you may be missing an opportunity to interact with a more diverse pool of respondents and thereby, miss data for your research.

There's more I could say, but that's the main point I wanted to make.

Good luck with your project.

[Guest]

6 hours ago, BareLover666 said:

I'm not going to volunteer, but I am curious about the results of the research.

Will you post the report  or a summary here when you are done?

I'd be happy to share a followup post on here with either a pdf version of the paper or a link to it online!

[Guest]

4 hours ago, funpozbottom said:

OMG! I go away for a week and look what happens!  I just have one final comment on your comments to my comments:

  You said, "...there really is not much else I can do for guys that aren't willing to at least ask for the materials to review."

That was exactly my point. If you produce an ad/announcement that seems like it could be a scam, most people are simply going to turn away. (And to be honest, my first reaction to your ad was that it looks like it came out of the personals section of an '80's smut mag. The only reason I responded was because you had been somewhat vetted by the mods. If I had seen your post in the wild, I would have steered clear.) It doesn't matter whether your study is legit. It doesn't matter how well designed your research is. If a person's gut reaction on reading your ad is that it seems a little sus, that person will most likely not respond, and you potentially lose data for your research.

Another reason I personally wouldn't do an interview is that I have difficulty articulating my thoughts, verbally. It totally stresses me out. I need time to consider what I want to say and usually do better with written responses. That is why I mentioned an on line questionnaire (not a survey).  You said you could provide a list of questions you would ask in an interview, and the interview would be (somewhat) anonymous, plus, you are transcribing your interviews, so why couldn't you make your questions available in an on line questionnaire? You could still do interviews or additional followup interviews or emails for those willing to provide additional info, Providing a second means of data collection might increase data for your research.

There may be reasons you designed the study the way you did. There may be reasons you want a small sample.  You may even have reasoned that the number of people who don't respond because of issues I've stated or other factors would be insignificant, however you may be missing an opportunity to interact with a more diverse pool of respondents and thereby, miss data for your research.

There's more I could say, but that's the main point I wanted to make.

Good luck with your project.

I appreciate the points you are making here @funpozbottom. I definitely did not think that how I announced my research on here would be taken by some the way it was... I wanted to come off chill, casual, and approachable because I honestly thought that would be more appealing than some overly clinical or academically written post. Unfortunately, I really have no clue what someone is going to find suspicious when advertising research, especially considering this population and the topic, because what turned you off from reaching out is maybe what someone else was drawn to or vice versa.

I totally understand that feeling of having difficulties articulating your thoughts. I thought about doing a mixed methods approach to this research, but ultimately, my thesis advisor and I decided that interviews were best for this project based on the research questions I am asking. Interviewing allows for a more candid back and forth that creates a lot of nuance within the conversations, especially since it allows me to ask followup questions when participants maybe move the conversation into new or unplanned directions. I am honestly pretty flexible with some people though because I understand that sometimes there are circumstances that prevent people from being able to sit down to be interviewed. I will private message you about some of the ways that I have been working with people who cannot sit for a phone or zoom interview.

Ultimately, I want as many people as possible to participate, but I also have to operate within the boundaries that the IRB has set regarding this research. Unfortunately, that means missing out on talking to people who are not comfortable with participating for a number of reason, whether that be how I am recruiting people to how I am collecting data. The sad reality is that I cannot please everyone, so I just have to accept that a possible small sample is a potential limitation to this study because recruiting within the population is so hit and miss. That is just a reality of doing research like this... I wrote in my proposal that I wanted to get 30 people to participate, but my thesis advisor told me I'd be lucky if I got 12 lol!

Thanks again for the feedback though. It is appreciated.

[Guest]

I’m just glad I didn’t read Poz Grad student needs recharge LOL 

[Guest]

9 hours ago, on2thenxt87 said:

I'd be happy to share a followup post on here with either a pdf version of the paper or a link to it online!

Thank you.
Looking forward to it and good luck.

 

7 hours ago, on2thenxt87 said:

I appreciate the points you are making here @funpozbottom. I definitely did not think that how I announced my research on here would be taken by some the way it was... I wanted to come off chill, casual, and approachable because I honestly thought that would be more appealing than some overly clinical or academically written post. Unfortunately, I really have no clue what someone is going to find suspicious when advertising research, especially considering this population and the topic, because what turned you off from reaching out is maybe what someone else was drawn to or vice versa.

I totally understand that feeling of having difficulties articulating your thoughts. I thought about doing a mixed methods approach to this research, but ultimately, my thesis advisor and I decided that interviews were best for this project based on the research questions I am asking. Interviewing allows for a more candid back and forth that creates a lot of nuance within the conversations, especially since it allows me to ask followup questions when participants maybe move the conversation into new or unplanned directions. I am honestly pretty flexible with some people though because I understand that sometimes there are circumstances that prevent people from being able to sit down to be interviewed. I will private message you about some of the ways that I have been working with people who cannot sit for a phone or zoom interview.

Ultimately, I want as many people as possible to participate, but I also have to operate within the boundaries that the IRB has set regarding this research. Unfortunately, that means missing out on talking to people who are not comfortable with participating for a number of reason, whether that be how I am recruiting people to how I am collecting data. The sad reality is that I cannot please everyone, so I just have to accept that a possible small sample is a potential limitation to this study because recruiting within the population is so hit and miss. That is just a reality of doing research like this... I wrote in my proposal that I wanted to get 30 people to participate, but my thesis advisor told me I'd be lucky if I got 12 lol!

Thanks again for the feedback though. It is appreciated.

Regarding the critical reactions and feedback, perhaps you've given the solution yourself and a strictly professional and clinical / academically written post might have went down a little smoother.

Perhaps as a fellow gay man who is living with Hiv you can empathise with those in our community who experience stigmatisation because of their sexual preferences.

Seeking casual sex is hardly unique for gay and bisexual men, there are numerous places where straight couples or more-somes find each other and about a third of the ones I know of overlap. We are of course buggered as gay and bisexual men as anal intercourse carries a much higher rate of risk for the transmission of Hiv.
This last bit just being my two cents in the discussion of the intrinsic complicated issue of human sexuality where the male sexuality often is considered even more complicated than average.

 

Edited August 1, 2022 by Guest

[partying.hard]

On 7/31/2022 at 12:00 PM, DCSluthole said:

Hi All — so I just completed my interview with the OP.  The interview lasted about 1.5 hours. The OP was on camera for the duration of the interview; I remained off camera (with my camera off) and provided the same pseudonym I had used since first volunteering with the OP.

The video call was from a google account I created using that pseudonym and was initiated by me. With the exception of general demographics (age, gender, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity), no other identifying questions were asked of me (so he knows I am a 48 year old gay white male). 

The OP was professional and thoughtful in both his questions and follow-ups to my answers throughout the interview session.  From his questions and follow-ups, it is clear he has his own prior experiences within the “hookup”/anonymous sex community — something that I found comforting and, more practically, enabled greater freedom in sharing my experiences (especially since there was shared vernacular and relatability). 

Overall, this was a great experience that offered me an opportunity to share my own experiences and discuss my views/perspectives in a welcoming and nonjudgmental context. I am pleased my participation may aid in his research.

You should make your own choices, but I can attest to the fact that this was a wholly professional (and even enjoyable) interview and I encourage others to consider contributing their own time and experiences to support the OP’s research study. 

If you have any questions or concerns s about participating, please feel free to DM or post questions on this thread. 
 

Full disclosure: OP did not ask me to post this; in fact, I offered to share my experience with the interview process in hopes it might help on his volunteer recruitment efforts. 

I connected with the OP and we did our interview this morning. My sentiments are the same as what DCsluthole posted.

I had done my research. I was able to find other research projects the OP had participated with. I was able to contact the IRB at his university and find verification of this specific research project.

The interview was handled very professionally. The questions are not exploitive.

I am both an exhibitionist and a voyeur. Knowing that I was talking to another positive barebacker, who also describes himself as a versatile top, was a turn on for me.  I had visions in my mind that he was sitting there jerking off as he was asking the questions and I was answering.  But the questions (I had received a copy before the interview) were clinical in nature, phrased in a way to be part of an educational research project, and while I answered everything openly and honestly, I tried to respect his professional needs by not disclosing any kinky or nasty details about my cruising.

lol 😈😈😈, if anything, I was the one more likely to have led the conversation in a very inappropriate direction.  But since he is a researcher working on his educational development, I tried to be both respectful and responsible.

 

i’m willing to discuss with others my experience with the interview. Please send a message. And if you are inclined to do so, I would encourage anyone to participate.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, partying.hard said:

I connected with the OP and we did our interview this morning. My sentiments are the same as what DCsluthole posted.

I had done my research. I was able to find other research projects the OP had participated with. I was able to contact the IRB at his university and find verification of this specific research project.

The interview was handled very professionally. The questions are not exploitive.

I am both an exhibitionist and a voyeur. Knowing that I was talking to another positive barebacker, who also describes himself as a versatile top, was a turn on for me.  I had visions in my mind that he was sitting there jerking off as he was asking the questions and I was answering.  But the questions (I had received a copy before the interview) were clinical in nature, phrased in a way to be part of an educational research project, and while I answered everything openly and honestly, I tried to respect his professional needs by not disclosing any kinky or nasty details about my cruising.

lol 😈😈😈, if anything, I was the one more likely to have led the conversation in a very inappropriate direction.  But since he is a researcher working on his educational development, I tried to be both respectful and responsible.

 

i’m willing to discuss with others my experience with the interview. Please send a message. And if you are inclined to do so, I would encourage anyone to participate.

Thank you so much for being willing to not just participate but also share that you had a positive experience! I really do want this to be an enjoyable experience for people because I think talking about sex can be both fun and cathartic... I mean isn't that part of why we are all here lol?

Also, please do not think that you led the conversation in any inappropriate direction. Everything you shared was relevant to you and your experiences. I definitely constructed the questions in a way that does not require or ask for participants to share graphic details about their experiences because I think that can come off exploitive, as you mention; however, I am not offended when people do get super graphic in describing their experiences because these interviews are for people to be honest about their feelings and experiences in their own words. I do not want anyone to ever feel like they need to censor themselves over fears that I would be offended or something.

Basically, I'm saying I can handle whatever y'all throw at me lol! Thanks again for the kind comments, and I really do hope to hear from more of you!

[Guest]

15 hours ago, on2thenxt87 said:

Basically, I'm saying I can handle whatever y'all throw at me lol!

Now I'm almost tempted to participate. 😉

Could you while you're conducting the interviews and hopefully writing a worthwhile report, post your research-proposal in advance?  Unless that would interfere with the collecting of data through the interviews, I could see you might not want to have potential participants know in advance the questions you're using.

Good luck!

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, BareLover666 said:

Now I'm almost tempted to participate. 😉

Could you while you're conducting the interviews and hopefully writing a worthwhile report, post your research-proposal in advance?  Unless that would interfere with the collecting of data through the interviews, I could see you might not want to have potential participants know in advance the questions you're using.

Good luck!

I think you should participate because your perspective and experiences are important 🙂

I think that only two people have asked to see my full proposal, and I sent it because they asked for it, but I would be hesitant to post the full thing here and I'll explain why. There is this thing called "The Hawthorne Effect," which basically argues that when people know they are talking to a researcher, they are more likely to respond in a way that they think the researcher wants them to respond. I think that similarly, if I posted the whole proposal and potential participants were able to see my hypothesis or what I am hoping to find, then it could influence how they answer the questions. I definitely don't mind sharing the actual interview questions I ask though because those do not necessarily indicate what I'm hoping to find or anything like that. I hope that makes sense.