Research Methods: How They Shape Views of Sexual Violence

This article distinguishes among the various research strategies available to the sexual aggression researcher and notes the limited domains of explanation inherent in each approach. Runkel and McGrath's (1972) circumplex typology is adapted as an organizing framework to clarify the relationships among the various research approaches. Examples of each type of research are given from the sexual aggression literature. Specific research strategies are examined in light of their ability to illuminate the possible and probable importance of a relationship between variables. Also discussed is the influential effect that a researcher's assumptions about the nature of sexual assault has on the choice of a research question and a research methodology to investigate that question. A multiple‐strategies approach is recommended for the study of sexual assault.