Doing Alcohol Research Differently: Considerations During Research With Romany Gypsy and Traveller Communities - A...

Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities experience significant health inequalities, yet alcohol consumption within these communities remains under-researched. This paper offers a methodological and ethical contribution by reflecting on two qualitative studies of alcohol use in Romany Gypsy and Traveller communities in the United Kingdom: project 1 explores youth drinking, and project 2 examines intergenerational drinking narratives. Drawing on a collaborative partnership with Friends, Families and Travellers, we highlight the importance of equitable partnerships and the role of peer researchers in enabling access to seldom-heard communities, particularly when researching sensitive and potentially stigmatised topics. We demonstrate the value of culturally credible methods, including craft-elicitation and story-telling interviews, which align with community traditions, support participant agency, and generate nuanced, relational accounts that challenge stereotypical and pathologising narratives of alcohol use. Participatory data analysis further enabled participants to shape interpretation, repositioning them as active contributors to knowledge production, rather than passive subjects. We also critically reflect on ethical dimensions of the research process, including accessible approaches to informed consent, the complexities and unintended consequences of remuneration, and the importance of prioritising participant comfort, care, and flexibility in research design. We argue that researching alcohol with Romany Gypsy and Traveller communities requires methodological openness, cultural sensitivity, and adaptive, participant-led design. More broadly, the paper contributes practice-based insights that extend debates on participatory and ethical research, offering guidance for qualitative health researchers working with seldom-heard populations on sensitive topics.