This presentation will provide a complimentary reflection on the issues raised in other presentations in this symposium from the perspective of a different project and another researcher. This presentation reflects on the conduct of a qualitative study on the experiences of people in treatment for addiction on sourcing psychoactive pharmaceutical products for the purpose of recreational or dependent use [1]. It will begin with an overview of the project and its findings. It will then focus on the ethical and methodological challenges of translating what could be considered best practice in the UK context into a study conducted within a military-run residential addiction treatment facility in Amman, Jordan. It will describe the ethical and methodological standards and practices expected from a UK standpoint, then reflect on the application of these, from a practical, cultural and in itself ethical perspective, when conducting the work in Jordan. It will reflect on some of the unexpected challenges and whether the actions taken with the benefit of hindsight, should have been different. Similar to Dr Steenkamp’s presentation, this talk will also consider dynamics associated with women carrying out research in a patriarchal society, and military setting.

Ref: (1) Qualitative Exploration of the Experiences of Men who use Drugs of Obtaining Psychoactive Medicinal Products in Jordan. Wazaify, M., Alhusein, N. & Scott, J., 30 Oct 2020, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse.