This comprehensive collection contributes to, advances and consolidates discussions of the range of research methods in criminology through the presentation of diverse international case studies in which contributors reflect upon their experiences with powerless and powerful individuals or groups.

This collection presents a diverse set of case studies and theoretical reflections on how criminologists engage with practitioners and policy makers while undertaking research. The contributions to this volume highlight both the challenges and opportunities associated with doing criminological research in a reflexive and collaborative manner. They further examine the ethical and practical implications of the ‘impact’ agenda in the higher education sector with respect to the production and the dissemination of criminological knowledge. Developed to serve as an internationally accessible reference volume for scholars, practitioners and postgraduate criminology students, this book responds to the awareness that criminology as a discipline increasingly encompasses not only the study of crime, but also the agencies, process and structures that regulate it. Key questions include: How can criminal justice policy be studied as part of the field of criminology? How do we account for our own roles as researchers who are a part of the policy process? What factors and dynamics influence, hinder and facilitate ‘good policy’?

This comprehensive collection contributes to, advances and consolidates discussions of the range of research methods in criminology through the presentation of diverse international case studies in which contributors reflect upon their experiences with powerless and powerful individuals or groups.

The new edition of this bestselling textbook brings criminological research alive for students. It introduces the processes and practicalities of preparing, doing, experiencing and reflecting upon criminological research. The success of the First Edition has been its ability to contextualize research accessibly within real-life examples of crime, criminology and criminal justice– doing interviews with offenders in prison, undertaking evaluation on crime related projects, using questionnaires to measure fear. Its strength continues to lie in its ability to span the process of doing criminological research, helping students to understand the journey of the researcher.

Reflexivity is valuable in social research because it draws attention to the researcher as part of the world being studied and reminds us that the individuals involved in our research are subjects, not objects. By being reflexive we acknowledge that we cannot be separated from our biographies. This volume reviews key debates concerning reflexivity in theory, methods, and practice. It mounts a defence of reflexivity against new materialist and post-qualitative critiques and the pressures exerted on scholars from the neoliberal marketized university system which privileges fast academia at the expense of slow, reflective scholarship. While defending reflexivity, this book also those identifies issues which plague mainstream sociological operationalizations of a positivistic form of reflexivity. It argues for the extension of reflexivity into domains otherwise neglected in public accounts, and a shift from reflexivity as an individualized quality of the researcher (used to judge peers and naval-gaze) to a feminist, collaborative, reflexive sensibility which is mindful of the wider contexts shaping the construction of knowledge(s), experience(s), and of the role of research communities. Providing examples of reflexivity in action from academics at different stages of their careers, Reflexivity will appeal to students and researchers interested in fields such as Sociology, Qualitative Research Methods, Criminology, Ethnography, and Ethics of Research.

Published in 1999, this text brings together detailed reflexive accounts of authors’ experiences of conducting research on a variety of criminological topics. The broad aim of the book is to critically review how qualitative methods can be effectively deployed in the area of criminology. The conclusions reached in the text are diverse, reflecting the range of qualitative methods considered and the particular criminological topics to which they are applied. A common theme throughout is that whilst qualitative research can help to provide valid and meaningful information on criminological issues, researchers need to carefully reflect upon both the methodological and ethical dimensions of their work. The book will appeal to those who wish to understand the experience of conducting qualitative research on aspects of crime and criminal justice. This will include undergraduate and postgraduate students undertaking research for the first time, as well as experienced researchers and teachers. This book was originally published as part of the Cardiff Papers in Qualitative Research series edited by Paul Atkinson, Sara Delamont and Amanda Coffey. The series publishes original sociological research that reflects the tradition of qualitative and ethnographic inquiry developed at Cardiff. The series includes monographs reporting on empirical research, edited collections focussing on particular themes, and texts discussing methodological developments and issues.

Good research starts with careful planning and a thorough understanding of the research process. The abilities to design a research study and to evaluate those conducted by others are core skills every student of criminology must learn. With guidance from theoretical considerations through the steps of the research process, this book equips you with the necessary tools to carry out a successful, ethical study. This is a completely updated new edition, and it features A new skills-focused chapter on how to evaluate existing qualitative studies and design new ones Rich examples from real research making the ideas and concepts concrete New in-depth case studies on fashion counterfeiting, electronic monitoring and youth justice to illustrate the realities of conducting qualitative research A full discussion of the politics of research, issues of access, ethics and managing risk in the field Thought-provoking exercises reinforce practical research skills This book is the perfect guide to theory and practice for any student undertaking qualitative research on crime or criminal justice.