Researching Crime Approaches, Methods and Application [Paperback]

Using clear examples of research problems and possibilities, this book shows students how to design and do their own criminological research. Each chapter integrates research theory and practice as the text explains a variety of methods in undergraduate and professional contexts. It is the ideal resource for all students researching crime.



Using clear examples of research problems and possibilities, this book shows students how to design and do their own criminological research. Each chapter integrates research theory and practice as the text explains a variety of methods in undergraduate and professional contexts. It is the ideal resource for all students researching crime.


Introduction.- PART I: THE PRINCIPLES OF RESEARCH.- 1. Research as an Integrated Process.- 2. Connecting Research and Theory: Influences on Criminological Research.- 3. Crime Research and Criminological Theory.- PART II: THE PRACTICALITIES OF RESEARCH.- 4. Using Other People's Data: the Analysis of Official and Secondary Data.- 5. Asking Questions about Crime: Questionnaires and Surveys.- 6. Talking to People about Crime: Interviews and Focus Groups.- 7. Watching Crime and Crime Control: Ethnographic and Observational Research.- 8. Using Documents: Content, Conversation and Discourse Analysis.- 9. Mixed Methods and Triangulation.- Conclusion.- Appendix 1: An Internet Guide for Criminology Students.- Appendix 2: Interview Schedule for 'A study of the opportunities and barriers facing BME police officers'.- Appendix 3: Interview Schedule for 'An assessment of student attitudes to the death penalty'.- Glossary.- References.

Chris Crowther-Dowey is Senior Lecturer in Criminology at Nottingham Trent University, UK. He has extensive experience of teaching criminology at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. His publications include Policing Urban Poverty, An Introduction to Criminology and Criminal Justice, Understalt