Research Methods In Criminal Justice

Research Methods in Criminal Justice and Criminology connects key concepts to real field research and practices using contemporary examples and recurring case studies throughout the book that demonstrate how concepts relate to students’ lives. Authors Callie M. Rennison and Timothy C. Hart introduce practical research strategies used in criminal justice to show students how a research question can become a policy that changes or influences criminal justice practices. The book’s student-driven approach addresses both the "why" and the "how" as it covers the research process and focuses on the practical application of data collection and analysis. By demonstrating the variety of ways research can be used, and reinforcing the need to discern quality research, the book prepares students to become critical consumers and ethical producers of research. The Second Edition includes two new case studies woven throughout, and new expert profiles to highlight contemporary topics. Editable PowerPoint slides and a test bank are available to instructors.

Criminal Justice Research Methods provides students with an accessible, easy-to-understand guide to all aspects of social scientific research methods. It features a comprehensive discussion of qualitative and quantitative data gathering strategies and a plethora of current examples to help readers understand the process of doing research and investigating issues that are relevant to criminal justice and criminology. The opening chapter differentiates between pure and applied research, explains the relationship between theory, and method, identifies different types of research, and clarifies why research is necessary. Additional chapters cover ethical adherence, experimental designs, and crime data and sampling techniques. Students explore survey research designs and learn effective skillsets for interviewing and observing. The final chapters examine unobtrusive measures and secondary analysis; validity, reliability, and triangulated methods; and scaling and index construction. Throughout, learning objectives, summaries, discussion questions, and key terms support student engagement and retention. Concise and highly contemporary, Criminal Justice Research Methods is ideal for courses with emphasis on research in criminal justice and criminology.

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.

Preface x -- Introduction to criminal justice research methods : theory and method -- Ethics in criminal justice research -- Research design : the experimental model and its variations -- The uniform crime reports and sampling -- Survey research : questionnaires -- Survey research : interviews and telephone surveys -- Participant observation and case studies -- Unobtrusive measures, secondary analysis, and the uses of official statistics -- Validity, reliability, and triangulated strategies -- Scaling and index construction -- Policy analysis and evaluation research -- Data analysis : a user's guide to statistics -- Glossary -- References -- Name index -- Subject index.

Research Methods for Criminal Justice and the Social Sciences combines a traditional research book with exercises that allow students to experience research in a controlled environment. It is a companion methods/manual for use with most traditional social scientific research textbooks. This book offers readers basic information about methodological concerns (brief readings); and a variety of practices exercises relating to those readings. Some features of this book: Each chapter begins with a BRIEF discussion of the elements relevant to a basic understanding of research methods After each section of each chapter are several abstracted reprints containing basic intros of published articles Each reading is then followed with an Application Exercise which relates to the methodological procedure in the abstracted reprint...all exercises were designed to be completed by college students amd allows them to get their "hands dirty with the This is a perfect resource for individuals interested in the field of criminal justice, criminology, or sociology.

"This book explains and illustrates criminal justice research topics, including ethics in research, research design, causation, operationalization of variables, sampling, methods of data collection (including surveys), reliance on existing data, validity, and reliability. For each approach, the book addresses the procedures and issues involved, the method's strengths and drawbacks, and examples of actual research using that method. Every section begins with a brief summary of the research method. Introductory essays set the stage for students regarding the who, what, when, where, and why of each research example, and relevant discussion questions and exercises direct students to focus on the important concepts. Research Methods for Criminal Justice and Criminology: A Text and Reader features interesting and relevant articles from leading journals, which have been expertly edited to highlight research design issues. The text offers instructors a well-rounded and convenient collection that eliminates the need to sift through journals to find articles that illustrate important precepts. All articles are recent and address issues relevant to the field today, such as immigration and crime, security post-9/11, racial profiling, and selection bias in media coverage of crime. The book is an ideal companion to any traditional research methods textbook. It encourages classroom discussion and critical thinking and is an essential tool for undergraduate and graduate research methods courses in criminal justice, criminology, and related fields"--

Even more student-friendly and featuring new examples, topics, and references throughout, the Fifth Edition of Michael G. Maxfield and Earl Babbie's RESEARCH METHODS FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND CRIMINOLOGY effectively engages your students in applying the specific research methods used in criminal justice. Combining the accessibility and conversational tone of Babbie's bestseller, THE PRACTICE OF SOCIAL RESEARCH, with Maxfield's expertise in criminology and criminal justice, the new edition of this market-leader includes enhanced coverage of ethics, causation, validity, and research design, as well as new and expanded examples, especially in the discussion of field research. A new running case study on racial profiling that progresses and builds from chapter to chapter-further demonstrates the important role of research methods in our evolving understanding of crime and society.