A central issue that emerged pivotal to the problem of collaborative feminist research was the relationship between the researchers, the topic, methods of study, and the theory guiding the research. The division between mainstream and feminist researchers can be traced in part to differing theoretical orientations: intra-individual, social-psychological, and social-cultural theories versus sociocultural and political factors. Analysis of the "problem of access" and "secondary effects of the research process" reveals the importance of making values explicit when embarking on the study of a sensitive topic with political and ethical ramifications for study participants. Evidence from this study helps to dislodge the myth of objectivity in research and supports the counterclaim that research is intervention. 26 references.