In this article I argue that in contrast to a large number of sociological studies of
laboratory practices in the natural sciences, there have been relatively few studies that have
investigated professional mathematical practice. I discuss three different methodological attempts
to "open up" advanced mathematics for sociological investigation: (1) LIVINGSTON's
"demonstrative sociology"; (2) MERZ and KNORR-CETINA's "e-mail ethnography"; and (3) my own
"video ethnography.
