The SAGE Handbook of Criminological Research Methods
- David Gadd - Manchester University, UK
- Susanne Karstedt - Griffith University, Australia
- Steven F Messner - University at Albany, State University of New York, USA
Conducting research into crime and criminal justice carries its own unique challenges. The SAGE Handbook of Criminological Research Methods focuses on the application of "methods," broadly understood, to address the core substantive questions that currently motivate contemporary criminological research. It maps a canon of methods that are more elaborated than in most other fields of social science, and the intellectual terrain of research problems with which criminologists are routinely confronted.
Drawing on exemplary studies, chapters in each section will illustrate the techniques (qualitative and quantitative) that are commonly applied in empirical studies, as well as the logic of criminological enquiry - the ways in which the specific nature of research questions dictate the kinds of data and analytic strategies required to effectively answer these questions. Organized into five sections, each of which is prefaced by an editorial introduction, the Handbook covers:
• Crime and Criminals
• Crime's Contexts: Networks, Cultures and Communities
• Perceptual Dimensions of Crime
• Criminal Justice Systems: Organizations and Institutions
• Preventing Crime and Improving Justice
Edited by leaders in the field of criminological research, and containing contributions by internationally renowned experts, The SAGE Handbook of Criminological Research Methods is comprehensive, forward-thinking and broad in its enquiry. Written for graduates, researchers and academics in criminology, criminal justice, policing, law, and sociology, this exciting, much-needed addition to the criminological library is set to become a definitive resource for research.
This remarkable collection of essays is criminological methodology like it ought to be. Reflecting the rich, methodological and substantive diversity of the field and the complexity of the criminological subject matter, these essays reveal the stories behind the stories criminologists tell. Essential reading for students and researchers alike
Professor Shadd Maruna
Queens University, Belfast
The Sage Handbook of Criminological Research Methods by David Gadd, Susanne Karstedt and Steven Messner brings together a large group of experienced researchers from across the world to write about a wide range of innovative and important approaches to criminological enquiry. But the handbook is much more than a standard "research methods" book in two significant ways: first, it situates each research methods within its theoretical home. Second, the authors have succeeded in striking the right balance between presenting a necessary textbook approach to using a research method and providing an experienced researcher's perspective on the ins and outs of actually conducting research. The practical insights provided throughout the book, across a very broad range of criminological inquiry, make for an engaging read
Professor Lorraine Mazerolle
University of Queensland, Australia
Criminology is characterized by a bewildering array of research methods ranging from randomized control experiments to ethnographies. The editors boldly charge into this intellectual thicket and provide some much needed organization and clarity. The 33 substantive chapters, written by some of the most respected criminologists in the field, provide an excellent resource for researchers and will make a welcome addition for both undergraduate and graduate research methods courses
Gary LaFree
Director, START Center and Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Maryland
