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| About the book |
"...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
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:
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| About the authors |
Iain Crow is Reader in Research Methods at the University of Sheffield. He has previously worked at the Addiction Research Unit at the Institute of Psychiatry and was Head of Research at NACRO, the national organisation for offender rehabilitation and crime prevention, until 1989. His teaching covers research methods and statistics, research ethics, and the treatment and rehabilitation of offenders. He has done research on drug use, race and criminal justice, offenders and unemployment, the Youth Court, community safety. He has also been involved with community based programmes for offenders, and done research on such programmes. His other books include The Treatment and Rehabilitation of Offenders, Criminal Justice 2000: Strategies for a New Century, and Unemployment, Crime and Offenders.
Natasha Semmens has been a lecturer in Criminology at the University of Sheffield since 2001. Her teaching covers research methods, white collar crime and foundations in law and legal systems. Her research interests include the fear of crime, crime survey methodology, white collar crime and cybercrime. She has also been involved in projects with the Home Office, NACRO and the UK Information Commissioner.
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| Table of contents |
PART ONE: THE PRINCIPLES OF CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCH Chapter 1. The Research Process 1. What is Research? 2. Researching Criminology 3. Types of Inquiry and Types of Data 4. Research as a Process Chapter 2. The Principles of Researching Criminology 1. The Research Question 2. Choosing a Research Strategy 3. Method Selection and Data Collection 4. Data Analysis and Inference Chapter 3. Designing Criminological Research 1. What is Research Design and Why is it Important? 2. Main Types of Empirical Inquiry 3. Some Common Kinds of Research Design 4. Choosing a Research Design: an example 5. Sampling. 6. Researching Criminology Ethically Chapter 4. Criminological Evaluation 1. Defining Terms 2. The Evaluation Paradigm 3. Evaluation and Theory 4. Doing Criminological Evaluation PART TWO: COLLECTING AND ANALYSING MATERIAL Chapter 5. Researching by Reading 1. Reviewing the Literature Critically. 2. Analysing Other People's Data 3. Analysing Documents Chapter 6. Researching by Looking 1. Introduction: Watch and Learn 2. The Science of Observation? Epistemology and Research Design 3. Methodological Decisions 4. Data Collection 5. Data Analysis 6. The Disadvantages of Observation Chapter 7. Researching by Asking and Listening 1. Introduction 2. Interviewing 3. Group Interviews and Focus Groups 4. Questionnaires Chapter 8. Analysing Criminological Research 1. About Analysis 2. Analysing Quantitative Material: An Introduction ' Analysing A Single Variable ' Analysing Two Variables ' Analysing Three or More Variables 3. Analysing Qualitative Material: An Introduction ' The process of qualitative analysis (coding, categorisation, counting, computer packages) ' Interpreting Results, Drawing Conclusions and Presenting Findings PART THREE: REAL WORLD RESEARCH Chapter 9. Researching Offenders and Employment 1. Background to the Project, and What it Shows 2. Theoretical Basis 3. Hypotheses 4. Research Design 5. Research Methods 6. Operationalising the Design and Conducting the Study 7. Results 8. Summary Chapter 10. Researching the Youth Court 1. Background to the Project 2. Theoretical Context 3. Research Design and Methods 4. Analysis 5. Results 6. Comments Chapter 11. Researching a Community Safety Programme 1. Background to the Project 2. Theoretical Context 3. The Research 4. Results 5. Discussion Chapter 12. Researching the Fear of Crime 1. Background to the Project 2. Theoretical Context 3. The Research 4. Analysis and Results 5. Discussion |
