Data, Method, and Ethics

Data and Method

Throughout the course of my study, I relied mainly on quantitative data. My primary focus was on archival data. I began by researching sites concerning teen pregnancy and prevention. Sites such as www.plannedparenthoodorg, www.thenationalcampaign.org, and http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_ATSRH.html were useful in collecting statistics and facts about teen birth rates and prevention methods, but they were aimed more towards parents and adults. Next, I narrowed my search to sites that are more teen-friendly and are more likely to grab a young person’s attention. I discovered www.stayteen.org, a flashy teen pregnancy site that presents useful information about prevention, relationships, and pregnancy in a simple, user-friendly fashion.

I then searched forums and discussion posts that involved teen pregnancy. I primarily used http://ehealthforum.com/health/teen_pregnancy.html, a teen pregnancy forum, to determine what sites most help teens deal with teenage pregnancy and prevention. I also used this forum to learn some common questions teens are asking about pregnancy, sex, children, etc.

Finally, I used the information that I gathered from the teen pregnancy forum to create a page that contains information to help teens deal with and answer, what I found to be, the most common questions about pregnancy, sex, childcare, etc (such as "How does the adoption process work?", "How effective is birth control?", "What are my abortion options?", etc.). I accomplished this task by incorporating the archival information that I collected from sites such as www.teenpregnancy.com and www.plannedparenthood.com. In addition, I researched the rise of the internet in America from 1995-2006 and the decline of teen birth rates in America from 1940-2006. I used this data to support my point that increased access to the internet in America resulted in a decline in birth rates. 

Ethics

The archival data I collected was publicly accessible, so I did not have to obtain consent concerning its use. As such, no special steps were needed to respect anonymity. I did not engage with individuals in my primary research, such as interviews or questionnaires, therefore informed consent was not needed. In regards to the internet forum I researched at ehealthforum.com, I did not reference any names or information from the site, so I did not have to use pseudonyms to protect anonymity.