Time to read: 1 minute
For the multiple choice and other close-ended questions on the survey, data was taken from the full 988 participants. For the open response questions, a representative sample of 100 participants were analyzed. The original responses were first split by how much of their fanfiction is comprised of aro/ace fanfiction. Once grouped together, I made sure to choose participants that have written various amounts of aro/ace fanfiction. Lastly, I narrowed down responses while focusing on the diversity in demographics and their use of text boxes for open ended questions; responses with more detail and variety were chosen. Whereas most of the survey was quantitative, their words provide context and depth to enrich the rest of the data.
Coding
I took a grounded theory approach to coding and analyzing the qualitative data from the surveys and interviews. This means the themes are drawn out of the data rather than set ahead of time. Coding is the process of picking out phrases, and keywords then condensing them into smaller and smaller categories until you arrive upon a set of themes/concepts that captures the meanings and sentiments of your participants. Prior to coding, I kept notes to keep track of my thoughts as well as significant quotes and potential codes. During coding, I used methods that prioritized the participants’ voices. I captured their emotions and values and translated them into codes that would eventually become themes.
Aromanticism & Asexuality in Fanfiction Writing 