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Criminological Research
Understanding Qualitative Methods

Second Edition


March 2017 | 216 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd
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, Criminological Research equips readers with the necessary tools to carry out a successful, ethical study.

This book is the perfect guide to theory and practice for any student undertaking qualitative research on crime or criminal justice.
 
Part I: Foundations of Qualitative Research in Criminology
 
1. Qualitative approaches to criminological research
 
2. The politics of researching crime and justice
 
3. Ethics in criminological research
 
Part II: The Research Process
 
4. Negotiating and sustaining access
 
5. Using existing qualitative data
 
6. Interviews and focus groups
 
7. Ethnography
 
8. Working with qualitative data: analysis and writing
 
Part III: Being a Qualitative Researcher
 
9. Researching women’s experiences of electronic monitoring – Ella Holdsworth
 
10. Using focus groups to explore young people’s perceptions of fashion counterfeiting - Joanna Large
 
11. Research with young people who are vulnerable and ‘difficult to reach’ - Kathy Hampson
 
12. Becoming a qualitative researcher

‘Informed by real-life research challenges and contemporary issues, this new edition of Criminological Research deepens our understanding of both the politics of research and the research process. This is a must-read guide for anyone embarking on qualitative research in the areas of crime and justice.’

Loraine Gelsthorpe
Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge

'Criminological Research is a must-read for anyone interested in criminological knowledge-generation. Wincup provides a lucid description of how to do qualitative research, and a thoughtful account of the place and contributions of qualitative scholarship in criminology.'

Jody Miller
Rutgers University

'The second edition of this introductory text explains the practical and theoretical issues in using qualitative methods, with well-chosen examples.   The chapter on getting access will inspire a new generation of researchers to conduct fieldwork.'

Max Travers
University of Tasmania

Good overview of the various qualitative methods. Easy to read for undergraduate students. Recommended to those students exploring qualitative methods on their assignments.

Miss Cristiana Viana Cardoso
Division of Criminology, Birmingham City University
September 5, 2018

This book demonstrates the contribution that research methods can make to an understanding of Criminology - a link that many students find difficult to make. The chapter on using existing qualitative data is a particularly helpful one.

Jamie Harding
Department of Social Sciences, Northumbria University
June 21, 2017

An interesting read and this book will be placed on our reading list. Students can use this book as a guide for completing their research modules. This book gives an in-depth overview around qualitative research which is important for the methodology section.

Mrs Chrissie Draper
Educational Psychology, Derby College
April 28, 2017

Sample Materials & Chapters

Criminological Research - Chapter 1


Emma Wincup

I joined the Joseph Rowntree Foundation in 2019 after an academic career spanning over 20 years, teaching and researching criminology and criminal justice. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation is a UK-based independent social change organisation working to solve UK poverty. In my role as research manager I have particular responsibility for qualitative research. More About Author

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