Dark Web Marketplace Research Guide

I’m preparing an in-depth research as a generalist piece on how today’s dark-web marketplaces and service hubs operate and, more importantly, how a non-specialist can reach them safely and document findings without crossing legal or ethical lines. I already understand the basics of Tor and VPN use, but I need a structured workflow—from first connection through data collection—that I can replicate for subsequent studies.

Here’s what I need from you:
• A concise, step-by-step walkthrough of the safest way to reach current dark-web marketplaces and service directories, written so any security-aware generalist can follow it.