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ACKNOWLEDGMENT This monograph is based on the papers from a technical review on " Qualitative Methods in Drug Abuse and HIV Research " held on July 19-20, 1994. The review meeting was sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The National Institute on Drug Abuse has obtained permission from the copyright holders to reproduce certain previously published material as noted in the text. Further reproduction of this copyrighted material is permitted only as part of a reprinting of the entire publication or chapter. For any other use, the copyright holder's permission is required. All other material in this volume except quoted passages from copyrighted sources is in the public domain and may be used or reproduced without permission from the Institute or the authors. Citation of the source is appreciated. Opinions expressed in this volume are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or official policy of the National Institute on Drug Abuse or any other part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The U.S. Government does not endorse or favor any specific commercial product or company. Trade, proprietary, or company names appearing in this publication are used only because they are considered essential in the context of the studies reported herein. NIDA Research Monographs are indexed in the Index Medicus. They are selectively included in the coverage of American Statistics Index, In July 1994 the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) sponsored a technical review entitled " Qualitative Methods in Drug Abuse and HIV Research. " It represents a continuing advancement in research methodologies for understanding and intervening in the related epidemics of drug abuse and HIV. The technical review benefits in both timing and content from earlier NIDA-sponsored technical reviews, including " The Collection and Interpretation of Data from Hidden Populations " (Lambert 1990) and " Acquired Immunodeficiency Virus (AIDS) and Intravenous Drug Use: Future Directions for Community-Based Prevention Research " (Leukefeld et al. 1990). The former addressed the application of qualitative research methods in studies of drug abuse among hard-to-reach populations, while the latter emphasized the use of qualitative methods in the study of HIV/AIDS risk behaviors at the individual, social group, and community levels. Since these technical reviews, the epidemics of drug abuse and HIV have continued as major public health threats, and the research community has been responsive to their changing nature and to the evolving science. …