Criminological Research Methods

From the Alcatraz East Crime Museum to Jack the Ripper guided tours, ‘dark tourism’ is now a multi-million-pound global industry. Highlighting 50 travel destinations across six continents, expert criminologists, psychologists and historians expose a worrying trend in contemporary consumer culture in which many of us partake.

Crime research has grown substantially over the past decade, with a rise in evidence-informed approaches to criminal justice. The fuel that has driven this growth is data and one of its most pressing challenges is the lack of research on its use and interpretation. This accessible book closes that gap for researchers, practitioners and students.

Drawing on complex narratives across film, TV, novels and graphic novels, this authoritative critical analysis demonstrates the value of fictional narratives as a tool for understanding, explaining and reducing crime and social harm. McGregor establishes an original theory of the criminological value of fiction.

Establishing a new interdisciplinary methodology, ‘criminological criticism’, Rafe McGregor proposes a model for collaboration between literary studies and critical criminology that is beneficial to the humanities, the social sciences and society.

Using two key visual pedagogical tools, this book shows you how to produce vibrant and stimulating in-depth qualitative research that draws on data readily available via the internet. Concise, practical and jam-packed with valuable tips, this book will enable you to complete a successful desk-based research project you can be proud of.

This collection explores the roles of emotion, violence, uncertainty, identity and positionality in doing research in and on conflict zones, as well as the complexity of methodological choices. It presents a nuanced view of conflict research that addresses the uncomfortable spaces of conflict research and the need for reflection on these issues.

Incorporating the experiences of service users, academics, state and grassroots practitioners, this volume considers how researchers might bridge the gap between theory and lived experience. It furthers criminological scholarship by capturing the voices of marginalized groups and exploring how criminology can authentically incorporate these voices.

This book is the first to organize and explain current scholarship on convict criminology, corrections and criminal justice in an accessible manner. From activism to the emergence of undergraduate programmes in prisons, it provides a clear guide to the complexities of the field.

The second edition of this popular textbook introduces students to key critical criminology concepts and new developments in the field.

Accessibly written, it offers an in-depth introduction to contemporary theories, including those that challenge mainstream theories about the causes of crime and the operation of the criminal justice system.

This book examines the nature of participatory research in the social sciences and its role in increasing participation among vulnerable or marginalised populations. It examines the ways in which inclusion and collaboration in research can be enhanced among vulnerable participants, and shows how useful it can be with these groups.

This textbook investigates how psychological research can be applied to practical policing. It explores new ways psychological knowledge can be used in broad areas of policing and uniquely demonstrates its use in specific aspects of practical policing. Encouraging critical reflection, this book is essential reading for practitioners and students.

This essential reference book offers best practice strategies for practitioners, researchers and policy makers working on deradicalisation and preventing violent extremism.