Since the approval of my dissertation proposal, I have been on the long journey to recruit and interview participants for the project. The progress so far has been mostly crawling, and at times, full stop experience. It has not been easy! At the same time, I have grown each time I reach a milestone. Currently, I hope to find one or two more participants to meet and interview. Next, I will be embarking on the analysis, coding, and writing portion of the project. I anticipate a few feedback sessions and revisions as well. These are all part of the growth experience.
I have made great progress, even though the pace has been slow. There are resources out there that may be useful for others who are interested in research on consensual nonmonogamous relationships. Here are some of the places where I think may be useful for researchers and students. To announce the recruitment, I contacted the APA Division 44 Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. I also emailed the LGBTQ centers in my area and New York. On the social media front, I posted on Gay Life After 40 on Facebook. On my personal Twitter and TikTok accounts, I also shared the recruitment flyer and project information.
Other than the above, one of my mentors suggested a few poly resources to try. After checking out the organization’s website, I wrote to TASHRA – The Alternative Sexualities Health Research Alliance for advice and support. I also reviewed carefully before joining a couple of Discord servers that tag polyamory. The most impactful has been the assistance and support from the participants I interviewed. The snowballing method (or word of mouth) has set the recruitment on fire in a good way. In any case, I am still looking for participants. Please help me spread the word if you know any middle aged gay man who is in an open relationship. I would love to meet and interview them. Thank you for your support in advance!
I do not know if any of these resources would be helpful to others, but just in case people feel stuck, they are here to get them move forward even just a little bit. Lastly, gathering relevant data and creating this website also helps me introduce myself, promote the project, and raise overall awareness of CNM. I would like to think that it also enhances the legitimacy of my project. In any case, I am thankful that one of you have come across my site and get to know me and the research I am passionate about today. Much appreciated for your time and attention.
