Ethical and Epistemological Issues in Intimate Insider Ethnographic Research on Crime and Deviance

Potter, Lisa (2026) Ethical and Epistemological Issues in Intimate Insider Ethnographic Research on Crime and Deviance. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 55 (2). pp. 231-255. ISSN 0891-2416

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Abstract

There is considerable literature on intimacy, and friendships developed in the field of social research. However, there is a lack of research exploring the ethical issues that arise when researching pre-established friendships. Subsequently, there is a lack of research exploring the ethical issues that arise through the intersection of ethnographic, intimate insider, and crime and deviance research. Intimate insiders are researchers who study in a community where they have pre-existing relationships. In this article, the author uses their study of the illicit streaming device market to illustrate the ethical challenges they encountered while conducting ethnographic research with pre-existing friends who were involved in crime and deviance. The article argues that this intersection raises unique ethical challenges around confidentiality, power imbalances, role conflict, the risk of harm, and deception, and describes how these issues were overcome. It concludes that although such research raises ethical issues, it also offers benefits.