ABSTRACT
Lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) psychology has a long tradition of qualitative enquiry both in the United Kingdom (UK) and in the United States. This chapter considers some of the challenges that have faced researchers in conducting quantitative studies on LGB issues, and some of the methods that can be used to improve the overall rigour and representativeness of those studies. It focuses on LGB research, many of the principles underpinning the discussion equally apply to studies that include those who identify as queer, gender-neutral, transgender or transsexual. In a paper published by the Savin-Williams Institute at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2011, Gary J. Gates clearly articulated the challenges faced by researchers in estimating the size of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) population of the US. Cross-sectional studies have been particularly useful in demonstrating the prevalence of homophobic discrimination in various contexts.
