Towards a Richer Understanding of Complex Families: Methodological Innovations and Opportunities in Studying LGBT-Parent Families

• The Use of Representative Datasets to Study LGBT-Parent Families
  Presented by: Stephen T. Russell, Joel A. Muraco
• Innovations in Using Multilevel Modeling in the Study of LGBT Couples and Families
  Presented by: JuliAnna Z. Smith, Abbie E. Goldberg, Aline G. Sayer 
• Qualitative Mixed Methods in Studying LGBT-Parent Families
  Presented by: Jacqui Gabb 

Co-sponsored by Research and Theory Section

Abstracts

Towards a Richer Understanding of Complex Families: Methodological Innovations and Opportunities in Studying LGBT-Parent Families

Presented by: Abbie E. Goldberg, Katherine R. Allen, Stephen Russell, Joel Muraco, JuliAnna Z. Smith, Aline G. Sayer, Jacqui Gabb, Timothy Biblarz

This symposium introduces several new methodological innovations in studying LGBT-parent families. The first paper, The Use of Representative Datasets to Study LGBT-Parent Families, discusses the advantages of, and challenges associated with, using population-based representative datasets such as Add Health to study LGBT-parent families. The second paper, Innovations in Using Multilevel Modeling in the Study of LGBT Couples and Families, highlights the  complications that are present when trying to analyze data from same-sex couples. The third paper, Qualitative Mixed Methods in Studying LGBT-Parent Families, discusses how qualitative mixed methods (QMM) can shed new light on the lived experiences of LGBT-parent families.