In cases, key decisions often are made early in the justice process. They may be made by people and in ways that are not obvious unless one looks very carefully at informal processes and the roles played by administrative and clerical personnel. The way in which actors define a situation can vary across settings and influences the actors' decisionmaking. In addition, preconceived schedules for data gathering when used for studying dynamic processes may make it difficult to recognize the flexibility and range of activities which are included in a single actor's role. Conventional methodology often overlooks the unique characteristics of the people in the system. Finally, attention should be paid to the preparation and handling of written reports and the ways in which reports might influence the disposition of juveniles. It is suggested that these often overlooked considerations provide an image of reality that is different from that provided by those who control the system or by conventional data-gathering procedures. Eight references are included.