Handbook of Research with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Populations provides a detailed examination of the current methods and theoretical frameworks for conducting research with LGBT populations. Introducing greater nuance in designing and implementing research models for working with these populations, Handbook of Research with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Populations provides guidelines for defining these groups, strategies to obtain more inclusive and representative samples, and methods for engaging these populations to produce consistent and relevant data. Collecting essays by notable researchers and scholars in the field, Handbook of Research with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Populations provides meaningful analyses of the ethics and practical constraints that researchers confront in dealing with LGBT populations--including protection of privacy--which is a special concern for many. For students, teachers, social workers, mental health professionals, and researchers of all backgrounds, this is an invaluable resource and guidebook for anyone seeking a better quality of understanding and engagement with LGBT individuals and communities.

Take an in-depth look at what works—and what doesn't—in research with GLBT populations! This essential book examines the usefulness of current frameworks for research with GLBT populations and highlights the necessity for greater complexity in the conceptualization and design of research with these populations. It will help you understand the need for more inclusive and representative samples and the need to protect the privacy of GLBT research participants-and ways to accomplish these goals. In addition, Research Methods with Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Populations considers the advantages and limitations of having an “inside” perspective when conducting research with these populations. It also explores the myriad ways in which this research can be used to better understand issues facing GLBT communities. Specifically, Research Methods with Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Populations discusses: eight strategies that “outsiders” can use to overcome barriers to doing their work the challenges of finding and studying older members of gay and lesbian communities the special challenges that studying gay drug users pose to the researcher factors affecting research with urban Black and African-American GLBT populations sampling issues, including ways to overcome the challenges of conducting research with sexual minority adolescents, issues related to dealing with institutional review boards, and lessons derived from empirical articles in the Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services unique features of AIDS service organizations to consider when developing an evaluation strategy ethical standards for research and evaluation with GLBT populations and a great deal more! From the Foreword, by Anthony R. D'Augelli: “In social science research, the effort to extract durable principles of social causality from the apparent randomness of everyday life requires the construction of reliable, if tentative, knowledge that is significantly more informative than mere speculation. With our ever-increasing knowledge base, increasingly sophisticated and powerful quantitative and qualitative methodologies, and with an ever-expanding cadre of researchers, our ability to discern patterns of development of GLBT people from birth to death, the unique qualities of their relationships, and the impact of communities and cultures on the ways in which their sexualities are manifested, will come into sharper focus. In this way, research becomes a tool by which GLBT people transcend invisibility and marginalization. As new research accumulates, the unique contributions that GLBT lives make to our understanding of the nature of human development will be documented in ways never before thought possible. “Within the larger context of social science research on GLBT populations, this book describes the current status of social service researchers in their quest for methodological sophistication and conceptual complexity. The work of the contributors to this volume exemplifies the progress that has been made since the first research reports on this topic were published.”

At a time when lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals-often referred to under the umbrella acronym LGBT-are becoming more visible in society and more socially acknowledged, clinicians and researchers are faced with incomplete information about their health status. While LGBT populations often are combined as a single entity for research and advocacy purposes, each is a distinct population group with its own specific health needs. Furthermore, the experiences of LGBT individuals are not uniform and are shaped by factors of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, geographical location, and age, any of which can have an effect on health-related concerns and needs. The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People assesses the state of science on the health status of LGBT populations, identifies research gaps and opportunities, and outlines a research agenda for the National Institute of Health. The report examines the health status of these populations in three life stages: childhood and adolescence, early/middle adulthood, and later adulthood. At each life stage, the committee studied mental health, physical health, risks and protective factors, health services, and contextual influences. To advance understanding of the health needs of all LGBT individuals, the report finds that researchers need more data about the demographics of these populations, improved methods for collecting and analyzing data, and an increased participation of sexual and gender minorities in research. The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People is a valuable resource for policymakers, federal agencies including the National Institute of Health (NIH), LGBT advocacy groups, clinicians, and service providers.

Recording issues and obstacles as well as groundbreaking victories in the recognition of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) rights in politics and policy, this landmark handbook introduces core considerations necessary for prompting governmental initiatives and social structures to better serve the GLBT population. Its impressive range

The graying of the US population draws increasing focus to historically unattended segments of society, including sexual and gender minorities. This title addresses the challenges of aging in the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and intersex populations. It presents what is known about aging GLBT individuals.

Valdiserri, and Richard J. Wolitski