Research about or with local communities entails particular challengesboth in the field and when interpreting empirical results. The purpose of this essay is to reflect on the research process that underpinned the generation of the article “We adapt … but is it good or bad? Locating the political ecology and social-ecological systems debate in reindeer herdingin the Swedish Sub-Arctic”. This article discusses the implications of different theoretical and methodological approaches for grasping complexsocio-ecological relations by examining four reindeer herding communities (Samebyar) in Norrbotten County. The methodological, ethical and epistemological challenges and tensions we encountered in undertaking this task are discussed, including: 1) developing the research design; 2)formulating the research agenda; 3) deciding on criteria of representation;4) the ethics of paying informants and 5) validating results. By examining these issues through reflecting on our research experience, we hope to contribute to the discussion on the challenges of field studies of communities.