My research

I am currently completing research in the following areas...

- Evaluating the use of policy in sex education

- Surveying new parents about sex and relationships advice they have been given

- Evaluating the modernisation of sexual health services

- Assessing the use and impact of new technologies in sexual health advice giving

Research background

My research focuses around two key areas - studying sex and relationships and evaluating how methodologies are used in research.

I have published over 40 peer reviewed papers, articles and reports in journals that include The Lancet, British Medical Journal, Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, Sex and Marital Therapy, Clinical Teacher, Medical Education, Social Science and Medicine, Quality and Safety in Healthcare, Sexual and Relationship Therapy, Health Expectations, and Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology. A selection of available papers are linked here, for a full list of publications please email me

Sex and relationships research

My research within sex has covered the following...

Sexual attitudes and behaviours

Colleagues and myself completed the UK's biggest survey of sexual functioning for the British Medical Journal. I've also carried out evaluations of women involved in street prostitution and written training papers and an online course (with doctors.org.uk) for those involved in caring for patients with sexual dysfunctions.

Sex in the media/ media effects

My PhD research assessed research on the effects of sexually explicit materials. I've also published papers on women's reactions to glamour models, assessing sex information in self help books and magazines and addressing inequalities in men's sexual health.

Evaluating sex research

I've published a number of papers around improving methods of sex research (Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy) and making sex research more accessible. I have also published several papers that address media advice giving and provide support and information for those working as agony aunts or media sex educators.

Evaluating research methodologies

My book

Self help for researchers

The Research Companion: a practical guide for the social and health sciences was published by Taylor and Francis in 2005. It's accompanied by a free messageboard for social and health researchers.

Making methods simple

I've published several papers around research methods including the hands on guide to questionnaire research in the British Medical Journal...

Selecting, designing and delivering your questionnaire
Administering, analysing and reporting your questionnaire
Reaching beyond the white middle classes

I've also published other guides to understanding social/ health research with colleagues including understanding ethics and research governance, researching sensitive issues and my award winning paper on understanding statistics in social research for Radical Statistics.