Tips on Finding a Data Set?

[mannard]

Hello. I'm a first year grad student mostly interested in qualitative research, but enrolled in a quantitative class. Throughout the semester we will be working with a data set, with the goal of learning how to use SPSS, as well as producing an end of the year paper which reports our findings. I'm really interested in the transgender community, and

Comments

[rexlezard]

If you find any national quantitative dataset that includes anything on trans people, I will be shocked.

In fact, it's obvious to me that trans people are in fact occluded from national data because of the way that, for example, the GSS collects data on sex - they don't ask the question, the interviewer is told to assume the individuals sex based on appearance. The same is true for race, though there is a later question that asks about how the respondent identifies hir race, the assumption that both race and sex are visible, obvious, and unambiguous is implicit in the GSS.

Please let me know if you do, though.

[lostreality]

as far as I know a good dataset on trans people does not exist, sorry.

But there are datasets that include enough LGB people to run stats on- like the ACS (American community survey), the 2000 census, and the NSFG, which is supposed to come out with a new wave of data any day now. You can also try contacting some people who do research in the area and see if they know of anyone collecting a smaller dataset.

[daddysambiguity]

I just finished my MA in sociology and focused mostly on trans folks. I was unable to find a worthwhile dataset that included TG/TS people, so wound up doing my quantitative paper (I'm qualitative, generally) on religion and political affiliation, though my thesis was on queer trans men who have sex with men. :/

Good luck, though! Lostreality's suggestion is a good one.

Dylan

[daddysambiguity]

oh, and it's such a small world. who'd have thought there were two 20-something trans guys named Dylan studying TG people in sociology grad programs.

[mannard]

It is a small world :- )

[arrivee]

does your school not have a LGBTQ centre? sorry if this runs you into a dead-end, but up here in canada our centre has a great LGBTQ library full of data. i'm actually aiming to do my MA on health care topics within the lesbian community.

good luck!