Qualitative approaches have been increasingly used to explore ethnic differences in teenage sexual behavior, and methodological issues of conducting such research often remain unaddressed. This article discusses issues related to sampling, rapport, language, and ethnical considerations arising while undertaking research on attitudes toward teenage sexual behavior held by Chinese British families. It highlights the value of using snowball sampling, the importance of establishing rapport, and some advantages of matching the ethnic background between researcher and participants. The researcher's gender and social and cultural backgrounds affect research processes and findings, and this itself merits further reflection.
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