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Reading and using Doing Criminological Research
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Reading and using Doing Criminological Research
Doing Criminological Research is a hugely successful book. This third edition is com- pletely new and refocused. Of course, the previous two editions had strengths, namely:
· the focus on decision making and reflexivity throughout the research process
· the range of examples and case studies used to demonstrate different methods in practice
· the accessibility of the book and the learning features used throughout.
However, this new edition offers much more than those previous volumes, builds further on their strengths, by expanding the scope and depth of methodological interrogation and breadth of contributors doing criminological research in new, innovative, dynamic and novel ways. It is our belief that this third edition represents a single point of reference and a comprehensive resource. We have been keen to identify a common format for each chapter that helps your reading and understand- ing in order to:
· ensure consistency in approach and to secure a thorough review of all aspects of the academic and scholarly research literature
· strengthen the student-centred nature of the book, allowing for a focused, acces- sible and user-friendly approach
· provide a more useful and ‘ready-made’ teaching and learning tool
· signpost theoretical, research, practical and reflective aspects of the book.
Where relevant, each chapter offers:
· a concise critical overview and review of the academic and scholarly research on particular related topics
· a robust discussion of the literature on the methodology and methods used
· an examination of the use of the methods in practice
· judicious use of presenting visual material (lists, bullet points, tables, boxes, etc. )
· summary/review sections, questions/activities, suggested further readings, creating a more interactive internal structure generally.
Chapters variously also incorporate the following features:
· enhanced and consistent use of definitions and explanations, key themes, con- cepts, terminologies, etc.
· greater and more specific cross-referencing for ease and speed of use within and between chapters – signposts (jigsaws) throughout the text direct you to the glossary
· textual illustration and exemplification/case studies
· good use of diagrammatic illustration and visual imagery, such as tables, boxes, extracts
· questions within each chapter as well as tasks to complete.
Doing Criminological Research (third edition) is a book that can be read from start to finish, yet it is also a book that can be dipped into, with individual chapters serv- ing as resources in their own right and relating to specific and particular aspects of doing criminological research. We hope that you enjoy it.
THINKING CRITICALLY ABOUT DOING CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCH
Here, we pull out the salient structural elements of the book and its chapters, and offer new and additional material that we think will help you develop not only your approach to doing criminological research, but also your criminological imagination.
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Defining the topic, cases, context and time
Deciding ‘what to study’ and what your research problem is together form the first important decision you have to make. There must be some initial statement of the territory to be examined. This acts as a benchmark against which progress is meas- ured. One of the hallmarks of effective research is the clear formulation of research problems and questions. These will guide you as the researcher to constantly return to key issues, whilst not acting as strait-jackets to inhibit creative inquiry (and pos- sibly reformulation of the research problem) as the project progresses. One of the hallmarks of ineffective research is a research problem which allows an investigator to lose his or her way, with the outcome that conclusions do not address what was intended. A key decision, then, concerns topic – what to study? For most criminolo- gists, the starting point for a research topic is an idea or a topic that is of interest to them, the source of which may be many and varied and can include personal interest, the research literature, social problems or a new development in society.
Typically, research questions begin by being broad and unfocused. What is more, they form a platform for making decisions about who to study, where and when. That is, there are decisions not just about topic but also about cases, context, and time. Broad research questions can be refined and reformulated to be more incisive and penetrative to take the form of, for example, ‘How do urban and rural areas (context) differ in terms of victimization of racially motivated crimes (cases) in the period between 1980 and 2010 (time)? ’ In this way, decisions are taken to open up some dimensions of a broad topic to inquiry and not others. Peter Francis in Chapter 2 describes the process of formulating research questions.
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