Ethnic specification, validation prospects, and the future of drug use research

Interest in drug use among America's major ethnic minority groups is rapidly increasing. Despite the welcomed interest, researchers tend to use broad ethnic labels to identify their samples. Such labels as "ethnic glosses" provide little information concerning the heterogeneity of each ethnic group and, in most instances, violate the guidelines concerning appropriate descriptions of sample characteristics. Use of broad ethnic descriptors particularly in drug use research creates external validity problems and prevents replications. Researchers are encouraged to obtain detailed information on the sociocultural characteristics of their samples by obtaining measures on ethnic identification, situated identity, and acculturative status. Use of ethnic identity and acculturation measures, however, can create problems in defining appropriate sample frames.