Research Standards

ENMP was built around a simple principle: listen first and let the evidence guide what comes next.

Our research is designed to better understand the lived experiences of people practicing ethical non-monogamy. We use structured qualitative interviews to identify recurring experiences, challenges, successes, transition points, and unmet needs across the ENM community.

We begin with questions, not assumptions.

The people who participate in our research are sharing personal experiences that deserve to be treated with care and respect.

Participation is always voluntary. You may decline to answer any question, ask to move to another topic, or end an interview at any time without explanation.

Our interviews are conversational by design. We use a consistent interview framework while allowing participants the freedom to talk about the experiences that matter most to them.

Your privacy matters.

We treat your personal information as confidential and do not publish identifying information without your explicit permission. ENMP does not sell, rent, or share participant data with third parties.

Research findings are reported using themes, patterns, and anonymized information rather than identifying individual participants.

Questions about privacy or participant data can be directed to privacy@enmproject.org.

Every interview contributes to a growing body of research.

We review interviews individually and across participants to identify recurring themes, experiences, challenges, successes, and areas that deserve further study.

Artificial intelligence may be used to assist with organizing, summarizing, and identifying patterns within research data. AI supports the research process, but it does not make research conclusions independently. Findings and interpretations are reviewed by ENMP before they are published.

ENMP does not begin research with a predetermined conclusion.

Ideas and assumptions are treated as questions to investigate rather than facts to confirm. As patterns emerge, we look for both supporting and conflicting experiences.

Not every participant will have the same experience, and not every finding will apply to everyone practicing ethical non-monogamy.

Our goal is not to tell people what their relationships should look like. Our goal is to better understand what their relationships actually look like.

Good research should be clear about how it was conducted and what its limitations are.

When ENMP publishes findings, we will explain how the research was conducted, who participated, how information was analyzed, and any important limitations that should be considered when interpreting the results.

We will distinguish between what the research shows, what it suggests, and what we still don't know.

ENMP is an independent research organization.

Our research questions and findings are not directed by advertisers, sponsors, product companies, or advocacy organizations.

Our research methods will continue to evolve as ENMP grows.

Interview questions, analysis methods, research procedures, and reporting standards may be refined as we learn. Meaningful methodological changes will be documented so that our research remains transparent and understandable.

We don't expect to know everything at the beginning.

We do expect to keep asking better questions.

We believe participants should understand how their experiences are being used.

For questions about ENMP research or methodology:

research@enmproject.org

For questions about privacy or participant data:

privacy@enmproject.org