Question

A researcher decides that they want to understand how drug dealers gain and defend territories (i.e. street corners, neighborhoods, specific locations). Additionally, the researcher believes that the most successful drug dealers are able to defend their territories without violence. The researcher believes this is tied to the number of years in the business. To learn how long drug dealers have operated, the researcher looks at all of the adult arrest records for known drug dealers in the city.

Answer 1

It is important to consider the ethical implications of this research. The researcher is studying illegal activity, and therefore, the subjects of the research may be hesitant to participate or may not be truthful about their involvement. Additionally, the researcher may be putting themselves in danger by interacting with drug dealers.

Furthermore, there may be issues with the validity of the data collected. The researcher is only looking at adult arrest records, which may not be representative of all drug dealers in the city. Additionally, the researcher is making assumptions about the success of drug dealers based on their ability to defend their territories without violence, which may not be an accurate measure of success.

Overall, the researcher should carefully consider the ethical implications of this research and work to ensure that the data collected is valid and accurate. Additionally, the researcher should consider alternative methods for gathering data, such as interviews with drug dealers who are willing to participate in the study.