Phase I: Sample Recruitment
Participants were recruited from fansites across the internet, including those housed here at LiveJournal, but also on various fandom-related blogs, websites (Twilighted.net) and Television Without Pity. Fans were recruited primarily from non-fanfiction centered fan communities, though there were postings on fanfiction centric communities as well. I attempted to cast as wide a net as possible (relying on cooperation among community and website owners/moderators and fan word-of-mouth), but the data you will see indicates that my sample is primarily of fans who consider LiveJournal.com their primary fansite.
Due to the nature of the questions, only individuals 18 years or older were allowed to participate.
When comparing the drop-outs with completes, two significant differences arose. Drop-outs were more likely to be younger compared to completes. They were also more likely to be a self-identified minority than completes (minority coded as "1", non-minority coded as "2").
An important question in survey research in general, and sexuality research in particular, is identifying when possible why someone dropped out of a study without completing it. Though I couldn't ask drop-outs why they chose not to complete (anonymous research doesn't allow IP or email tracking), I did look at the point at which people stopped answering questions. The largest number of non-completes (59) occurred during the initial demographic questions, and indeed, included a number of people who, after entering their age and being directed into the survey itself, didn't complete any additional questions. Another 40 dropped out during the questions on fanfiction and sexuality (perhaps because the questions made them uncomfortable or perhaps because they didn't read fanfiction and didn't think the survey applied to them). Another 55 dropped out during non-sexuality related psychological questionnaires, and the remaining 17 dropped out during the general sexuality questions.
Based on this, it is my belief that the majority of people who decided not to complete did so for reasons other than an unwillingness to answer questions regarding sexuality. Simple fatigue or distraction were as likely to account for drop-outs as being unwillingly to discuss sexuality to a stranger.
Citation: Meggers, H.J. (2010, April). Fans in Online Fannish Spaces: Expressions of Self and Sexuality. Paper presented at the meeting of The National Popular Culture & American Culture Associations Annual Conference, St. Louis, MO.
Due to the nature of the questions, only individuals 18 years or older were allowed to participate.
When comparing the drop-outs with completes, two significant differences arose. Drop-outs were more likely to be younger compared to completes. They were also more likely to be a self-identified minority than completes (minority coded as "1", non-minority coded as "2").
An important question in survey research in general, and sexuality research in particular, is identifying when possible why someone dropped out of a study without completing it. Though I couldn't ask drop-outs why they chose not to complete (anonymous research doesn't allow IP or email tracking), I did look at the point at which people stopped answering questions. The largest number of non-completes (59) occurred during the initial demographic questions, and indeed, included a number of people who, after entering their age and being directed into the survey itself, didn't complete any additional questions. Another 40 dropped out during the questions on fanfiction and sexuality (perhaps because the questions made them uncomfortable or perhaps because they didn't read fanfiction and didn't think the survey applied to them). Another 55 dropped out during non-sexuality related psychological questionnaires, and the remaining 17 dropped out during the general sexuality questions.
Based on this, it is my belief that the majority of people who decided not to complete did so for reasons other than an unwillingness to answer questions regarding sexuality. Simple fatigue or distraction were as likely to account for drop-outs as being unwillingly to discuss sexuality to a stranger.
Citation: Meggers, H.J. (2010, April). Fans in Online Fannish Spaces: Expressions of Self and Sexuality. Paper presented at the meeting of The National Popular Culture & American Culture Associations Annual Conference, St. Louis, MO.