Understanding research methods is crucial for anyone pursuing a career in criminology or policing. Whether you're analysing crime patterns, evaluating the effectiveness of policing strategies, understanding the root causes of criminal behaviour, or building a strong theoretical foundation through literature review, a solid grasp of research methodologies will enhance your ability to make informed decisions and drive positive change. This overview introduces different research approaches and resources to guide you through the research process.
Overview of Research Methods
- Qualitative Methods: Gain in-depth insights into the lived experiences of offenders, victims, and communities through interviews, focus groups, ethnography (immersion in a community or setting), and content analysis of documents or media.
- Quantitative Methods: Analyse numerical data to identify crime trends, assess the impact of interventions, and evaluate policing strategies using surveys, experiments, statistical analysis, and crime mapping.
- Mixed Methods: Combine qualitative and quantitative approaches to gain a comprehensive understanding of complex issues like the relationship between poverty and crime, the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs, or the impact of police-community relations.
- Desk-Based/Literature-Based Research:
- Literature Review: Thoroughly examine existing research literature, including academic articles, books, government reports, and policy briefs. This helps identify knowledge gaps and build theoretical frameworks.
- Case Law Analysis: Study legal precedents and court decisions to understand how laws are interpreted and applied in practice, especially in relation to criminal justice and policing.
- Policy Analysis: Examine policy documents and evaluate their potential impact on crime prevention, law enforcement practices, or the criminal justice system.
Choosing the Right Method(s)
The most appropriate research method(s) will depend on your research question, goals, and available resources.
- Research Question: Are you exploring the motivations of offenders? Examining the impact of a new policing initiative? Investigating the factors that contribute to specific types of crime?
- Research Goals: What do you hope to achieve? Do you need to describe a crime problem, explain why it occurs, predict future trends, evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention, or provide recommendations for policy change?
Remember, a combination of research methods often provides the most comprehensive understanding of complex criminological and policing issues.
Selecting the Right Method
- Research Questions: Your research question is your starting point. Are you exploring the motivations of offenders? Examining the impact of a new policing initiative? Investigating the factors that contribute to county lines drug trafficking? Your question will determine the most appropriate research method.
- Research Goals: What do you hope to achieve with your research? Do you need to describe a crime problem, explain why it occurs, predict future trends, or evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention? Your goals will shape your research design.
- Resources: Consult books, articles, and online platforms (e.g., College of Policing Crime Reduction Toolkit, Home Office Research and Statistics, National Institute of Justice, Campbell Collaboration) to learn more about various research methods and identify the best fit for your study.
Resources for Learning Research Methods
- Library Search: Seek out books and ebooks on criminological research methods, qualitative research in criminal justice, quantitative research in criminology, and mixed methods research.
- Library Databases: Use databases like Criminal Justice Abstracts, PsychINFO, and PubMed to access relevant research articles to learn from their methodology.
- Library Guides: The library has a number of guides on research topics, including ethics, literature reviews, open access, and more.
- LinkedIn Learning: LinkedIn Learning contains a wide range of videos and online courses on research design, data collection, and analysis.
- Online Courses: Platforms like FutureLearn, Coursera, edX, and Udemy offer courses on research design, data analysis, and research methods.
- Professional Organisations: Join organisations like the British Society of Criminology or the Police Foundation for access to research publications, conferences, and networking opportunities with UK-based researchers and practitioners.
