Download Research Methods in Crime and Justice

Research Methods in Crime and Justice
Chapter 1
The Research Practice
What are Research Methods?
• The tools, techniques and procedures that
researchers use to ask and answer questions.
– How many police officers are there in the United
States?
– How much money do we spend annually on
prisons?
– What causes a person to become a serial
murderer?
– An a violent offender be rehabilitated?
What is Research?
• The term ‘research’ has two meanings.
• As a verb ‘research’ means to follow a logical
process that uses concepts, principles and
techniques to produce knowledge.
– We are researching the factors that are related to
juvenile delinquency.
• As a noun ‘research’ is a collection of information
that represents what we know about a particular
topic.
– The research suggests that lack of parental
supervision is related to juvenile delinquency
What is Research?
• Research in the social sciences (like criminal
justice) is more challenging than in the
physical sciences.
– The concepts that social scientists study are more
difficult to measure.
– The findings produced by social researchers are
more difficult to interpret.
Why do Research?
• Well planned and executed research produces
verifiable facts.
• The alternatives to research may not provide
verifiable facts.
– Media reports on an alleged crime wave caused
by displaced Hurricane Katrina victims were found
to be false by an objective researcher.
– Katrina victims did not increase crime in the cities
they were displaced to
Alternatives to Research
• Authority – Some experts are wrong.
• Tradition or custom – Societies change and so
do their traditions and customs.
• Common sense – What makes sense to one
person or social group may not make sense to
another.
• Media – Information distributed through the
mass media may not be objective, valid or
sensitive to context.
Who Does Research?
• Some people conduct research for a living.
– University professors
– Consultants
• Other people conduct research as part of their
job.
– Criminal justice professionals
• Anyone who follows a methodological process
to produce knowledge is conducting research
Different Types of Research
• Research can be classified into one of three
categories.
– Exploratory research – Often necessary when we
know very little about a new or emerging social
trend.
– Descriptive research – Documents existing social
conditions or trends.
– Explanatory research – Attempts to find a cause
for social trends and phenomena.
• These categories are not mutually exclusive.
Different Types of Research
• Research may be classified in terms of the
researcher’s initial intention.
– Pure research – Research initially conducted for the
sole purpose of expanding the body of knowledge.
– Applied or Action research – Research initially
conducted for the purpose of addressing a particular
problem or issue.
• Pure research can later be applied to a problem
and applied research can later be used to expand
the body of knowledge.
Where is Research Found?
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Academic and scholarly journals
Research monographs
Textbooks
Newspapers and magazines
Trade publications
Corporate research reports
Legislative actions and policy actions
Databases
Where is Research Found?
• Peer review – A collaborative process
whereby researchers who are knowledgeable
about a particular subject are asked to review
and comment on another researcher’s work
and recommend whether it should be
published.
• Normally done for publication in academic or
scholarly journals.
• Enhances the overall quality of the research.
How is Research Used?
• Researchers conduct research to;
– Expand the body of knowledge,
– Establish professional credentials,
– Inform legal and policy decisions,
– Address social problems,
– Develop new products or services,
– Advance social and political agenda, and
– Improve professional practice
When is Research Important?
• Research is the foundation upon which we
expand the body of knowledge.
• Research is important when we want to;
– Respond to critical social problems,
– Allocate limited resources wisely, and
– Base policy decision on evidence rather than
ideology.
Getting to the Point
• Research methods are the tools, techniques
and procedures that researchers use to ask
and answer questions.
Getting to the Point
• As a verb, ‘research’ means to follow a logical
process that uses concepts, principles and
techniques to produce knowledge.
• As a noun, ‘research’ is a collection of
information that represents what we know
about a particular topic.
Getting to the Point
• Research in the social sciences is more
challenging than in the physical sciences
because the concepts that social scientists
study are more difficult to measure and the
findings that social scientists produce are
more difficult to interpret.
Getting to the Point
• Relying on authority, tradition or custom,
common sense and the media for accurate
knowledge is risky. There is no substitute for
good research in the pursuit of reliable
knowledge.
Getting to the Point
• All sorts of people conduct research.
• Some people and organizations conduct
research for a living.
• Anyone who follows a methodological process
to produce knowledge is conducting research.
Getting to the Point
• Research can be classified into three different
categories.
• Exploratory research is often necessary in order
to learn about social trends and phenomena that
we know very little about.
• Descriptive research describes social trends and
phenomena.
• Explanatory research attempts to explain or find
a cause for social trends and phenomena.
Sometimes a research project can have more
than one purpose.
Getting to the Point
• Research may also be classified in terms of
how the researcher intends to use the
research.
• Pure research is conducted primarily to
advance theory and to expand the body of
knowledge.
• Applied or action research is conducted
primarily to address a specific issue or solve a
particular problem.
Getting to the Point
• Peer review is a collaborative process
whereby researchers who are knowledgeable
about a particular subject are asked to review
and comment on another researcher’s work
and recommend whether it should be
published.
Getting to the Point
• Research can be found in academic journals,
books, newspapers, magazines, legislative
actions, policy decisions and databases. Some
of this information is more objective and
accurate than others.
Getting to the Point
• Researchers conduct research to expand the
body of knowledge, establish professional
credentials, inform legal and policy decisions,
address social problems, develop new
products or services, advance social or
political agendas and improve professional
practice.
Getting to the Point
• Research is the foundation upon which we
expand the body of knowledge. Research is
also important when we want to respond to
critical social problems, allocate limited
resources wisely and base policy decisions on
evidence rather than ideology.
Research Methods in Crime and Justice
Chapter 1
The Research Practice