Ebook Researching Criminology

"...what makes the book stand out is the inclusion of real research into various criminal justice institutions that have actually been undertaken by the authors. In doing so, what is produced is a book that stimulates interest and injects research passion, as well as offering research ‘know how’ into what can often be a difficult and sometimes dry area of research." Tina Patel, Liverpool John Moores University "This book provides an essential tool for undergraduate students embarking upon their own research projects in Criminology. It provides clear and informative guidance on a range of research methods and designs to assist students in their own criminological endeavours." Jacki Tapley, University of Portsmouth How do criminologists go about studying crime and its consequences? How are programmes for offenders and communities evaluated? How can you collect and analyse criminological material? Research on crime and criminality is often referred to by the media, policy makers and practitioners, but where does this research come from and how reliable is it? Designed especially for students on criminology and criminal justice courses, and professionals working in the field,Researching Criminologyemphasises the importance of research as an integrated process. It looks at the ways in which a mixture of investigative methods can be used to analyze a criminological question. Written by two experienced researchers and lecturersResearching Criminologyis a comprehensive introduction to the aims, principles and methods of doing criminological research. The book covers all the key topics that you will encounter when researching crime. Individual chapters include material on: The research process Principles of researching criminology How to design criminological research Evaluation research Researching ethically A glossary of essential key concepts Structured in three parts, addressing the principles of criminological research, how to collect and analyse material and providing detailed examples of real world research,Researching Criminologywill be of benefit to all students of criminology and criminal justice, for practitioners interested in criminological research, and for those undertaking criminological research for the first time.

"...what makes the book stand out is the inclusion of real research into various criminal justice institutions that have actually been undertaken by the authors. In doing so, what is produced is a book that stimulates interest and injects research passion, as well as offering research ‘know how’ into what can often be a difficult and sometimes dry area of research." Tina Patel, Liverpool John Moores University "This book provides an essential tool for undergraduate students embarking upon their own research projects in Criminology. It provides clear and informative guidance on a range of research methods and designs to assist students in their own criminological endeavours." Jacki Tapley, University of Portsmouth How do criminologists go about studying crime and its consequences? How are programmes for offenders and communities evaluated? How can you collect and analyse criminological material? Research on crime and criminality is often referred to by the media, policy makers and practitioners, but where does this research come from and how reliable is it? Designed especially for students on criminology and criminal justice courses, and professionals working in the field, Researching Criminology emphasises the importance of research as an integrated process. It looks at the ways in which a mixture of investigative methods can be used to analyze a criminological question. Written by two experienced researchers and lecturers Researching Criminology is a comprehensive introduction to the aims, principles and methods of doing criminological research. The book covers all the key topics that you will encounter when researching crime. Individual chapters include material on: The research process Principles of researching criminology How to design criminological research Evaluation research Researching ethically A glossary of essential key concepts Structured in three parts, addressing the principles of criminological research, how to collect and analyse material and providing detailed examples of real world research, Researching Criminology will be of benefit to all students of criminology and criminal justice, for practitioners interested in criminological research, and for those undertaking criminological research for the first time.

This book provides an introduction to research and some of the methods in the field of crime and justice and related areas, including police, prisons and criminal justice policy making. Less a dry 'how to' book, it is concerned rather to provide a wide-ranging discussion that illustrates the kind of research that has been done in particular areas, the findings of previous studies, the pitfalls of ‘real life’ research (and some potential solutions) and the range of possible research methods and approaches – both qualitative and quantitative. It shows how appropriate methods are chosen for particular studies and explores the theoretical underpinnings of the studies, including how and why researchers use theory; the political and ethical issues; and the role of emotions such as fear and danger in researching the field of crime and criminal justice. Key features include: First hand interviews with leading ‘hands on’ academics Examples, excerpts and sources of original research Analysis of the theories, methods and outcomes of previous research Throughout the book there is an emphasis on the often troublesome (and often ignored) relationship between the topic of study, desired outcomes and suitable methods, with a wide range of illustrative case studies. Here the approach is practical - pointing out the different approaches various studies have used and how their outcome is often determined by their choice of methods. The book also reflects on the philosophies of research and includes discussions about the way the choice of methods will be reflected in the findings and vice versa (which seems obvious but is often forgotten). Researching Crime and Justice: Tales from the Field will be an essential source of inspiration and ideas for criminology students and other researchers on crime and justice.

Fundamentals of Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice, Fourth Edition introduces students to the multifaceted subject of research methods and shows them why research is important in the field of criminology and criminal justice. This brief version of Ronet Bachman and Russell K. Schutt’s successful textbook (The Practice of Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice) simplifies complex concepts with real-world research examples found in everyday experiences in the criminology and criminal justice professions. The thoroughly updated Fourth Edition of this bestseller reflects the most recent developments in research methods, including the use of big data, increased coverage of crime mapping, evidence-based and web-based research, along with the most current research examples impacting the field. This is an excellent introductory text for undergraduate research courses, and is ideal for students who want to understand how and why criminal justice research is done to become critical consumers of research.

We live in an era of mass mobility where governments remain committed to closing borders, engaging with securitisation discourses and restrictive immigration policies, which in turn nurture xenophobia and racism. It is within this wider context of social and political unrest that the contributors of this collection reflect on their experiences of conducting criminological research. This collection focuses on the challenges of doing research on the intersections between criminal justice and immigration control, choosing and changing methodologies while juggling the disciplinary and interdisciplinary requirements of the work’s audience. From research design, to fieldwork to writing-up, this book captures every part of the research process, drawing on a range of topics such as migration control, immigrant detention and border policing. It also reflects on more neglected areas such as the interpersonal and institutional contexts of research and the ontological and epistemological assumptions embedded within data analysis methods. It makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the major developments in current research in this field, how and why they occur and with what consequences. This book seeks to shake off the phantom of undisturbed research settings by bringing to the fore the researchers' involvement in the research process and its products. An interdisciplinary collection, it can be used as a reference not just for those interested in the criminology of mobility but also as a learning tool for anyone conducting research on a highly charged topic in contemporary policy and politics.

Conducting research into crime and criminal justice carries unique challenges. This Handbook focuses on the application of ′methods′ to address the core substantive questions that currently motivate contemporary criminological research. It maps a canon of methods that are more elaborated than in most other fields of social science, and the intellectual terrain of research problems with which criminologists are routinely confronted. Drawing on exemplary studies, chapters in each section illustrate the techniques (qualitative and quantitative) that are commonly applied in empirical studies, as well as the logic of criminological enquiry. Organized into five sections, each prefaced by an editorial introduction, the Handbook covers: • Crime and Criminals • Contextualizing Crimes in Space and Time: Networks, Communities and Culture • Perceptual Dimensions of Crime • Criminal Justice Systems: Organizations and Institutions • Preventing Crime and Improving Justice Edited by leaders in the field of criminological research, and with contributions from internationally renowned experts, The SAGE Handbook of Criminological Research Methods is set to become the definitive resource for postgraduates, researchers and academics in criminology, criminal justice, policing, law, and sociology. David Gadd is Professor of Criminology at Manchester University School of Law where he is also Director of the Centre for Criminology and Criminal Justice. Susanne Karstedt has a Chair in Criminology and Criminological Justice at the University of Leeds. Steven F. Messner is Distinguished Teaching Professor of Sociology, University at Albany, State University of New York.

This ebook is a selective guide designed to help scholars and students of criminology find reliable sources of information by directing them to the best available scholarly materials in whatever form or format they appear from books, chapters, and journal articles to online archives, electronic data sets, and blogs. Written by a leading international authority on the subject, the ebook provides bibliographic information supported by direct recommendations about which sources to consult and editorial commentary to make it clear how the cited sources are interrelated related. A reader will discover, for instance, the most reliable introductions and overviews to the topic, and the most important publications on various areas of scholarly interest within this topic. In criminology, as in other disciplines, researchers at all levels are drowning in potentially useful scholarly information, and this guide has been created as a tool for cutting through that material to find the exact source you need. This ebook is a static version of an article from Oxford Bibliographies Online: Criminology, a dynamic, continuously updated, online resource designed to provide authoritative guidance through scholarship and other materials relevant to the study and practice of criminology. Oxford Bibliographies Online covers most subject disciplines within the social science and humanities, for more information visit www.aboutobo.com.

Conducting rural criminological research exposes researchers to concerns such as absence or inadequate official data about crime and superficial rural-urban comparisons, rural isolation and distance from the researchers’ office to the study site, and lack of services or access to justice. This distinct cultural context means that studying rural crime requires creatively adapting existing research methods. Conducting research about or in rural settings requires unique researcher preparation, as everything from defining the space at the conception of a project to collecting and analyzing data differs from urban research. This book explores the various issues, challenges, and solutions for rural researchers in criminology. Integrating state of the art methodological approaches with practical illustrations, this book serves as an internationally comprehensive compendium of methods for students, scholars, and practitioners. While contributing to the growing field of rural criminology, it will also be of interest to those engaged with the related areas of rural health care, rural social work, and rural poverty.