Ideal for undergraduate or graduate-level courses, Research Methods for Criminology and Criminal Justice, Fourth Edition introduces students to the functions of criminal justice research including basic ideas behind scientific theory, research language, and research design.

The Encyclopedia of RESEARCH METHODS IN CRIMINOLOGY & CRIMINAL JUSTICE The most comprehensive reference work on research designs and methods in criminology and criminal justice This Encyclopedia of Research Methods in Criminology and Criminal Justice offers a comprehensive survey of research methodologies and statistical techniques that are popular in criminology and criminal justice systems across the globe. With contributions from leading scholars and practitioners in the field, it offers a clear insight into the techniques that are currently in use to answer the pressing questions in criminology and criminal justice. The Encyclopedia contains essential information from a diverse pool of authors about research designs grounded in both qualitative and quantitative approaches. It includes information on popular datasets and leading resources of government statistics. In addition, the contributors cover a wide range of topics such as: the most current research on the link between guns and crime, rational choice theory, and the use of technology like geospatial mapping as a crime reduction tool. This invaluable reference work: Offers a comprehensive survey of international research designs, methods, and statistical techniques Includes contributions from leading figures in the field Contains data on criminology and criminal justice from Cambridge to Chicago Presents information on capital punishment, domestic violence, crime science, and much more Helps us to better understand, explain, and prevent crime Written for undergraduate students, graduate students, and researchers, The Encyclopedia of Research Methods in Criminology and Criminal Justice is the first reference work of its kind to offer a comprehensive review of this important topic.

Research Methods for Criminology and Criminal Justice: A Primer, Second Edition provides students of criminology and criminal justice with a clear and simple approach to understanding social science research. Completely updated and redesigned, this text is written to engage students and make the complex subject of research methods easy for the would-be criminal justice practitioner to comprehend. In addition to covering current topics such as community policing, alternative sentencing for nonviolent offenders, and gang violence, each chapter starts with a case study demonstrating how research methods are used in practical applications within the field. Later, these issues are also addressed in exercises and questions found at the end of the chapter. This indispensable resource is accessible, understandable, and user-friendly, and is a must-read for students in any research methods course.Each chapter of this text begins with a case study illustrating how research methods, requirements, and processes are used in real-life applications. Research Methods for Criminology and Criminal Justice: A Primer uses important contemporary issues such as gangs, drugs, teen alcohol abuse, and alternative sentencing options for non-violent offenders, to illustrate role of research in developing policies and procedures. These illustrations are also addressed at the end of each chapter in exercises and review questions. Research Methods for Criminology and Criminal Justice: A Primer makes learning research methods easy, understandable, and applicable to the criminal justice topics students are most interested in.Research Methods for Criminology and Criminal Justice: A Primer will be available with instructor's resources including an Instructor's Manual, including lecture outlines and review question solutions, Microsoft PowerPoint(tm) presentations, and a test bank.

Preface x -- Introduction to criminal justice research methods : theory and method -- Ethics in criminal justice research -- Research design : the experimental model and its variations -- The uniform crime reports and sampling -- Survey research : questionnaires -- Survey research : interviews and telephone surveys -- Participant observation and case studies -- Unobtrusive measures, secondary analysis, and the uses of official statistics -- Validity, reliability, and triangulated strategies -- Scaling and index construction -- Policy analysis and evaluation research -- Data analysis : a user's guide to statistics -- Glossary -- References -- Name index -- Subject index.

Even more student-friendly and featuring new examples, topics, and references throughout, the Fifth Edition of Michael G. Maxfield and Earl Babbie's RESEARCH METHODS FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND CRIMINOLOGY effectively engages your students in applying the specific research methods used in criminal justice. Combining the accessibility and conversational tone of Babbie's bestseller, THE PRACTICE OF SOCIAL RESEARCH, with Maxfield's expertise in criminology and criminal justice, the new edition of this market-leader includes enhanced coverage of ethics, causation, validity, and research design, as well as new and expanded examples, especially in the discussion of field research. A new running case study on racial profiling that progresses and builds from chapter to chapter-further demonstrates the important role of research methods in our evolving understanding of crime and society.

This concise text introduces students to the fundamental methodologies of research in criminology and criminal justice, with an emphasis on the application of research methods directly relevant to the real world of criminal justice. By using storytelling that draws on actual field experiences to engage students’ interest, Criminological and Criminal Justice Research Methods, Second Edition takes a unique approach compared to other textbooks on the market. Regardless of students’ career goals, this text engages their interest while imparting current information on and approaches to the most important and useful criminological and criminal justice research methods. New to the Second Edition: Explanation of mixed-methods research Presentation of propensity score matching Discussion of the Philadelphia Birth Cohort Studies Introduction of the terms “legacy rape” and “revised rape” Updated discussion of computer-assisted personal (or programmed) interviewing (CAPI) and new discussion of Smart-Phone Based Surveys or Ecological Momentary Assessments (EMAs) Revised discussion of informed consent Updated scholarly references throughout (reflecting the latest studies) Greatly expanded presentation of types of qualitative studies Professors and students will benefit from: Text that engages students and makes material accessible through concise writing and structure A comprehensive, carefully sequenced approach to understanding, evaluating, and conducting criminological and criminal justice research Research methodology and skills that are made available and meaningful to those students intending to conduct their own research as well as to those seeking pragmatic, up-to-date knowledge of the developments in the field Emphasis on ethical methods and use of research An active exploration of the intersection of criminological theory and research methods Coverage of methodological failures as well as successes to stimulate student discussion and understanding of the topic’s importance and nuances

Key Features: --