ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an account of the research design consisting of two sections, the first section is concerned with the overall research philosophy, and the second section provides an account of the processes conducted during all fieldwork. The research follows phenomenological and ethnographic traditions, which are applied in settings that have been directly affected by the issue or experiences of public injecting drug use. Qualitative research is characterised and defined by the interpretation of naturally occurring phenomenon as part of an attempt to establish representations of the social meaning others hold within these particular mileux. The application of a visual methodology is employed by means of facilitating an equally ontological inquiry of the social and environmental arenas of injecting drug use. Harm reduction approaches to substance use typically aim to shift an emphasis from the criminalisation of drug users towards a reform of public health intervention and the wider social environment.
