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Research Methods for Criminal Justice and Criminology by
Providing the most comprehensive, authoritative introduction to criminal justice research available today, this edition continues its focus on getting students to DO research and is enhanced by new examples, research, applications, and built-in study tools. Throughout the book, Maxfield illustrates the rewards and challenges of research using examples of his own students' research as well as examples from recent published studies.
Research Methods for Criminology and Criminal Justice by
Research Methods for Criminology and Criminal Justice, Third Edition introduces students to the functions of criminal justice research including scientific theory, research language, and design. Ideal for the undergraduate or graduate level qualitative and quantitative methodology courses, this Third Edition is updated with new case studies, expanded discussions on quantitative vs. qualitative research, and special topics including ethics, confidentiality, and the need for objectivity.The text's clear and simple approach to social science research makes learning research methods easy, understandable, and applicable to the criminal justice topics students are most interested in.
Introduction to Criminal Justice Research Methods by
This third edition is designed as an introduction to research methods in criminal justice techniques. The detailed information that is generated by research is a management tool that has become a significant part of criminal justice operations. The text discusses the purposes, process, and uses of research that focus on identifying what information is already known about a particular topic or question. Ethical issues in criminal justice research are reviewed, as is investigating the validity and reliability of crime data sources. Also offered is an introduction to research design--the plan or blueprint for a complete research project. The principles of sampling are thoroughly discussed as is survey research, a common form of gathering information in the criminal justice setting. A review of the concept of scaling and some common methods of scale construction are introduced. Additional major topics include qualitative interviews and observational studies in qualitative research, as well as a wide variety of research techniques that comprise evaluation research. The definitions and examples provided in the book will help students and practitioners to both comprehend research articles and reports and to conduct their own research. Each of the authors brings specific areas of expertise to the text, and they are familiar with the research process and have worked together on several published studies. The text is designed primarily for persons with little or no research background and provides real-world examples and clear definitions of terms and concepts.
Research Methodologies in Criminology by What is Research? - to go beyond personal experience and gather information from other sources.
Why Research? - to further explore ideas or issues, to solve a problem, or to support an argument for or against something.
Types of Research
Primary - first hand observation, investigation. Sources of information include statistics, historical data, contemporary materials such as art.
Secondary - secondhand observation - books, articles, studies by other researchers.
Most research uses both types of research and the resources of each.
Research Models - Quantitative and Qualitative (see video to the right)
For a more detailed explanation, check out this presentation by R. J. Clarke of the University of Wollongong, Research Models and Methodologies.
