Ethnography, the preferred method of inquiry of the cultural anthropologist, is currently the most widely recognized qualitative method for research. Defined as the "art and science of describing a group or culture," it provides a means of studying and understanding other groups, their values and culture. This study documents the use of a permutation of that method, called "contract ethnography," where a trained professional enters a culture for a limited period of time with a limited set of questions. Three programs funded by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) are examined: (1) the Creating Lasting Connections (CLC) Project based upon church involvement in Louisville, Kentucky; (2) the Beyond Blue Bay (BBB) Project located on an Indian reservation in Ronan, Montana; and (3) the Child Development Project (CDP) based in public elementary schools headquartered in Oakland, California (with a second site visit to Louisville, Kentucky). Each of the two-person site-visits occurred during the third of five years of federal funding. One team member was a senior staff member of the Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm, CSR, Inc., termed the "Site Evaluator," and the second, a person trained in techniques of contract ethnography, called the "Site Visitor." Two parallel reports were written for each project, focusing upon different aspects of the project. Communication lessons that can be drawn from the promotional videotapes developed during the project are also examined. (Contains 13 references.) (Author/AEF)