James A. Peterson Research Scientist Degree: Ed.D., Urban Education, Morgan State University Phone: 410-837-3977 ext. 228 Fax: 410-752-4218 Email: jpeterson@frisrc.org

Research Interests

Dr. Peterson has extensive professional experience in the areas of public health and human services encompassing various types of health research in the areas of substance abuse and substance abuse treatment, HIV/AIDS prevention, community-based research, and direct work with and research of prisoners, HIV+ individuals, and substance users.  Dr. Peterson’s recent activities have provided opportunities for him to gain significant experience conducting ethnographic fieldwork using social research strategies to gain access to hard-to-reach populations, applying a variety of qualitative research methods including types of street and institutional interviewing, field observations, focus groups, etc. 

Selected Publications

Peterson, J. A., Schact-Reisinger, H., Schwartz, R. P., Mitchell, S. G., Kelly, S. M., Agar, Brown, B.S., & Agar, M.H. (in press).  Targeted sampling in drug abuse research: A review and case study.  Field Methods. 

Schwartz, R. P., Kelly, S. M., O'Grady, K. E., Peterson, J. A., Reisinger, H. S., Mitchell, S. G., Wilson, M. E., Agar, M. H. & Brown, B. S. (2008).  In-treatment vs. out-of-treatment opioid dependent adults: Drug use and criminal history.  The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 34(1), 17-28. 

Peterson, J. A., Mitchell, S. G., Hong, Y., Agar, M. & Latkin, C. A. (2006).  Getting clean and harm reduction: Adversarial or complimentary issues for injection drug users.  Reports in Public Health, 22(4), 733-740.

Hong, Y., Mitchell, S. G., Peterson, J. A., Latkin, C. A., Tobin, K. & Gann, D. (2005).  Ethnographic process evaluation: Piloting an HIV prevention intervention program among injection drug users.  International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 4(1), Article 1.

Peterson, J. A., Mitchell, S. G., & Latkin, C. A. (2005).  The shooting gallery: Opportunities and implications for the introduction of an ethnographic HIV prevention intervention.  AIDS and Anthropology Bulletin, 17(2), 26-28. 

Mitchell, S. G., Peterson, J. A. & Kaya, S. (2004).  Making the switch to digital audio.  International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 3(4), Article 6.

Hopson R. K., Peterson, J. A. & Lucas, K. J. (2001).  Tales from the hood’: Informing our understanding of health, disease and public policy through ethnographic interventions in the inner city.  Qualitative Research in the Addictions.  Sage, London.

Hopson, R. K. Lucas, K. J. & Peterson, J. A. (2000).  Giving voice to the marginalized: The implications of qualitative efforts on HIV/AIDS intervention efforts of African Americans and racial minorities (2000) New Directions in Evaluation: Special Volume on Minority Issues.  (Edited by Hospon, R.K. and Patton, M.Q.).

Whitehead, T. L., Peterson, J. A. & Kaljee, L. (1994).  The Hustle: Socioeconomic deprivation, urban drug trafficking, and prospects for the Black family in America. Pediatric Journal.