Pride Month @GESIS
GESIS research on gender and LGBTIQ+ topics
GESIS is a research-based infrastructure institution for the social sciences and conducts its own continuous and interdisciplinary research in four major research areas. The results of our research serve both to gain scientific knowledge and to sustainably improve our offerings for the social sciences.
Our research on sexual and gender diversity plays an important role in this regard.
LGBTIQ+ data in European data archives
GESIS staff members identified all datasets collected from LGBTIQ+ populations which are held in European social science data archives and analyzed them regarding different methodical and content aspects.
Recker, Jonas, and Anja Perry. 2024. “Data on the Margins – Data from LGBTIQ+ Populations in European Social Science Data Archives.” Data Science Journal, 23(1). doi https://doi.org/10.5334/dsj-2024-039.
Data available at: https://doi.org/10.7802/2650
Introduction to the study in GESIS Meet the Experts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPkq8fpbKPA
Article Collection: The Relevance of Gender for Measurement in the Social Sciences
GESIS researchers are editors of a forthcoming article collection in the journal Measurement Instruments for the Social Sciences. Contributions will focus on challenges and current developments in capturing gender in the social sciences and will be published starting fall 2025.
Forthcoming:
The Relevance of Gender for Measurement in the Social Sciences (Article Collection). MISS - Measurement Instruments for the Social Sciences. Collection editors: Behr, Dorothée; Dorer, Brita; Koc, Piotr and Cornelia Neuert. Call (closed): https://miss.psychopen.eu/index.php/miss/announcement/view/103.
Gender-inclusive language in questionnaires
In gendered languages such as German questionnaire items are often phrased using only the male grammatical form. A GESIS study was able to demonstrate that the use of gender-inclusive language forms did not compromise the comparability of the data and in most cases did not have a negative effect on the response behavior.
Neuert, Cornelia. 2024. “How do alternative gendered linguistic forms affect response behavior in surveys?” Field Methods Online first . doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/1525822X241286342
Collecting non-binary sex/gender in surveys
In an experimental setting, GESIS researchers explored whether the way information on participants’ sex/gender is collected influences the data quality, and how respondents understood the used concepts. They conclude that the inclusion of a third, non-binary response option does impact data quality or response behavior.
Hadler, Patricia, Cornelia Neuert, Verena Ortmanns, and Angelika Stiegler. 2022. “Are you…? Asking questions on sex with a third category in Germany.” Field Methods 34 (2): 91–107. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/1525822X211072326
LGB partnership behavior over time
Using data from the socio-economic panel (SOEP), GESIS researchers studied how the partnership behavior of LGB cohorts born during or after WWII changed over time. Special consideration is given to timing and the intensity of first partnership formation and first cohabitation.
Bohr, Jeanette, and Andrea Lengerer. 2024. "Partnership Dynamics of LGB People and Heterosexuals: Patterns of First Partnership Formation and First Cohabitation." European Journal of Population 40 (11). doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10680-024-09697-4
Development of same-sex relationships in Germany (in German)
Based on microcensus data, GESIS researchers studied the development of same-sex relationships in Western Germany since the 1970s. They were able to demonstrate that the share of such relationships has increased continuously over time. This is due to a cohort effect which is stronger for men than for women.
Lengerer, Andrea, and Jeanette Bohr. 2019. "Gibt es eine Zunahme gleichgeschlechtlicher Partnerschaften in Deutschland? Theoretische Überlegungen und empirische Befunde." Zeitschrift für Soziologie 48 (2): 136-157.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1515/zfsoz-2019-0010
Overview of sociodemographic standard variables (in German)
In creating an overview of sociodemographic variables collected in big German survey programs, GESIS researchers noted an increasing differentiation of gender concepts. This negatively impacts comparability and makes additional research necessary.
Schneider, Silke L., Verena Ortmanns, Antonia Diaco, und Sarah Müller. 2022. Die Erhebung soziodemographischer Variablen in großen deutschen Umfragen: Ein Überblick über Möglichkeiten und Herausforderungen der Harmonisierung. KonsortSWD Working Paper 2/2022. Konsortium für die Sozial-, Verhaltens-, Bildungs- und Wirtschaftswissenschaften (KonsortSWD). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6810973
GESIS offers and services for research on gender, sexuality, and beyond
Besides conducting its own research, GESIS offers resources and services to support social sciences researchers in their projects, including the documentation and publication of their research activities and results.
Are you planning a research project on sexual or gender diversity, or would you like to give these aspects more attention in your project? Then our GESIS search may be the place to go!
Have you already collected data? Share these with us and other researchers!
Call for Data
By publishing data collected from LGBTIQ+ populations you can contribute to better representation and increased visibility of LGBTIQ+ persons.
GESIS Search
Our GESIS Search can help you find data, variables, measurement instruments and publications relevant to your research topic.
Among other things, you can find a thematic collection there of data on the topic “Gender roles and gender identity”
Publish your validated measurement instruments!
ZIS, our Open Access Repository for Measurement Instruments, allows you to search for established measurement instruments for free. It also serves as a platform to publish your own measurement instruments and thus help promote and advance research on sexual and gender diversity.