In ethnographic research, expectations and guidelines presented in textbooks often differ from the practice of researchers in the field. This is especially true when studying criminals in general and drug dealers in particular. Based on qualitative interviews with 15 ethnographers studying drug dealers, we discuss seven important methodological issues that emerge when doing this type of research. These issues include approach/recruitment, enticing consent/payment, drug use of both participants and researchers, the use of audio recorders, physical and legal security, ethical dilemmas, and Institutional Review Board (IRB) problems. We argue that ethnographers need to make “standing decisions” about how to address issues about recruiting participants, enticing them to consent, recording interviews, consuming drugs or alcohol, addressing ethical dilemmas, and dealing with IRBs. Having these standing decisions will facilitate more methodologically rigorous and ethically sound decisions, and produce higher quality research.
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