This is a psychology research paper by Carol Haefner, a 50-something asexual Ph.D. candidate. It was written in 2011. Haefner explores the topic of how asexuals navigate romantic relationships, or the idea of having such relationships.

I feel like this is one of the few academic papers on asexuality I’ve read that gets beyond basic questions of “does asexuality exist?” and “what are asexuals like?” and begins to look at “what is it like to navigate life as an asexual?” and that puts the words and experiences of actual asexuals front and center.

I also liked the author’s candor throughout the paper as she grappled with her research data and learned some new things about herself.