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The Practice of Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice
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The Practice of Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice

Seventh Edition


January 2019 | 616 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc

The authors are proud sponsors of the 2020 SAGE Keith Roberts Teaching Innovations Award—enabling graduate students and early career faculty to attend the annual ASA pre-conference teaching and learning workshop.

Very practical approach to teaching research methods and very student friendly. This text “breathes life” into the research process. Sherill Morris-Francis, Mississippi Valley State University

 

The Practice of Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice, Seventh Edition demonstrates the vital role research plays in criminology and criminal justice by integrating in-depth, real-world case studies with a comprehensive discussion of research methods. By pairing research techniques with practical examples from the field, Ronet D. Bachman and Russell K. Schutt equip students to critically evaluate and confidently conduct research.

 

The Seventh Edition of this best-selling text retains the strengths of previous editions while breaking ground with emergent research methods, enhanced tools for learning in the text and online, and contemporary, fascinating research findings. This edition incorporates new topics like intelligence-led policing, social network analysis (SNA), the evolution of cybercrime, and more. Students engage with the wide realm of research methods available to them, delve deeper into topics relevant to their field of study, and benefit from the wide variety of new exercises to help them practice as they learn.

 

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Preface
 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Authors
 
SECTION I: FOUNDATIONS FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH
 
Chapter 1: Science, Society, and Research Related to Crime, Criminology, and Social Control
Reasoning About the Social World

 
The Social Science Approach

 
Alternative Research Orientations

 
More on the Role of Values in Research

 
Quantitative and Qualitative Methods

 
Highlighting a Few Specific Types of Research Methods

 
Strengths and Limitations of Social Research

 
A Comment on Research in a Diverse Society

 
Conclusion

 
 
Chapter 2: The Process and Problems of Research Related to Crime and Criminology
Identifying a Research Question

 
Social Research Foundations

 
The Role of Theory

 
Social Research Strategies

 
Social Research Standards

 
Conclusion

 
 
Chapter 3: Ethical Guidelines for Research
Historical Background

 
Ethical Principles

 
The Institutional Review Board

 
Research Involving Special Populations: Prisoners and Children

 
Conclusion

 
 
SECTION II: FUNDAMENTALS OF RESEARCH
 
Chapter 4: Conceptualization and Measurement
Concepts

 
Variables and Levels of Measurement

 
Did We Measure What We Wanted to Measure?

 
A Comment on Measurement in a Diverse Society

 
Conclusion

 
 
Chapter 5: Sampling
Sample Planning

 
Sampling Methods

 
Sampling Distributions

 
Conclusion

 
 
Chapter 6: Causation and Research Design
Causal Explanations

 
Criteria and Cautions for Nomothetic Causal Explanations

 
Research Designs and Causality

 
Units of Analysis and Errors in Causal Reasoning

 
Conclusion

 
 
SECTION III: RESEARCH DESIGNS
 
Chapter 7: Experimental Designs
History of Experiments

 
True Experiments

 
Quasi-Experiments

 
Validity in Experiments

 
External Events

 
Contamination

 
Treatment Misidentification

 
Factorial Survey Design

 
Ethical Issues in Experimental Research

 
Conclusion

 
 
Chapter 8: Survey Research
Survey Research in the Social Sciences

 
Designing Questionnaires

 
Writing Survey Questions

 
Organization of the Questionnaire

 
The Cover Letter

 
Survey Designs

 
Errors in Survey Research

 
Ethical Issues in Survey Research

 
Conclusion

 
 
Chapter 9: Qualitative Methods: Observing, Participating, and Listening
Fundamentals of Qualitative Methods

 
Participant Observation

 
Systematic Observation

 
Intensive Interviewing

 
Focus Groups

 
Ethical Issues in Qualitative Research

 
Conclusion

 
 
Section IV: Topical Research Designs
 
Chapter 10: Analyzing Content: Research Using Secondary, Historical, and Comparative Data and Content Analysis
Analyzing Secondary Data

 
Historical and Comparative Methods

 
Oral History

 
Historical Process Research

 
Content Analysis

 
Methodological Issues When Using Secondary Data

 
Ethical Issues When Analyzing Available Data and Content

 
Conclusion

 
 
Chapter 11: Social Network Analysis, Crime Mapping, and Big Data
Social Network Analysis

 
Crime Mapping

 
Big Data

 
Ethical Issues When Using Big Data

 
Conclusion

 
 
Chapter 12: Evaluation and Policy Analysis
A Brief History of Evaluation Research

 
Design Decisions

 
Evaluation in Action

 
Quasi-Experimental Designs in Evaluation Research

 
Nonexperimental Designs

 
Qualitative and Quantitative Methods

 
Policy Research: Increasing Demand for Evidence-Based Policy

 
Basic Science or Applied Research

 
Ethics in Evaluation

 
Conclusion

 
 
Chapter 13: Mixing and Comparing Methods
What Are Mixed Methods?

 
Strengths and Limitations of Mixed Methods

 
Comparing Results Across Studies

 
Ethics and Mixed Methods

 
Conclusion

 
 
SECTION V: AFTER THE DATA ARE COLLECTED
 
Chapter 14: Analyzing Quantitative Data
Introducing Statistics

 
Preparing Data for Analysis

 
Displaying Univariate Distributions

 
Summarizing Univariate Distributions

 
Cross-Tabulating Variables

 
Regression and Correlation

 
Analyzing Data Ethically: How Not to Lie About Relationships

 
Conclusion

 
 
Chapter 15: Analyzing Qualitative Data
Features of Qualitative Data Analysis

 
Qualitative Compared With Quantitative Data Analysis

 
Techniques of Qualitative Data Analysis

 
Alternatives in Qualitative Data Analysis

 
Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis

 
Ethics in Qualitative Data Analysis

 
Conclusion

 
 
Chapter 16: Summarizing and Reporting Research
Research Report Goals

 
Writing Is Not Easy!

 
Research Report Types

 
Displaying Research

 
Ethics, Politics, and Reporting Research

 
Plagiarism

 
Conclusion

 
 
Appendix A: Questions to Ask About a Research Article
 
Appendix B: How to Read a Research Article
 
Glossary
 
References
 
Index

Supplements

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  • a password-protected site for complete and protected access to all text-specific instructor resources; 
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  • exclusive access to full-text, influential SAGE journal articles, which have been carefully selected to tie important research and scholarship to chapter concepts; and
  • lecture notes that summarize key concepts by chapter to help you prepare for lectures and class discussions.

 

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  • an open-access site that makes it easy for students to maximize their study time, anywhere, anytime;
  • eFlashcards that strengthen understanding of key terms and concepts;
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  • exercises and meaningful Web links that facilitate student use of Internet resources, further exploration of topics, and responses to critical thinking questions.

The textbook is straightforward, clear and easy to follow. Even students with minimal knowledge of research methods should be able to follow.”

Mercedes Valadez Ph.D
California State University, Sacramento

I will strongly recommend this text to my colleagues as an undergraduate research method textbook!”

Yongsok Kim
Bemidji State University

Very practical approach to teaching research methods and very student friendly. This text “breathes life” into the research process. The authors took the time to explain all concepts, even ones that would pose a problem for someone new to research.”

Sherill Morris-Francis
Mississippi Valley State University

I won't be teaching this until the summer now. But I plan on reviewing it to use for that semester

Dr Katie Swope
Counseling & Psychology, Carlow University
September 23, 2019

The book seemed appropriate for an undergraduate research methods course. I particularly appreciate all the examples and case studies to make it relevant for the students in the law enforcement class.

Dr Julie Brines
Law Enforcement/Justice Admin, Western Illinois University
September 25, 2019
Key features

NEW TO THIS EDITION:

  • Updated “Research in the News” boxes feature the latest media stories which have made an impact both on researchers and practitioners in criminal justice and society as a whole. Students will explore how research has impacted some of the biggest headlines such as the link between mass killings and domestic violence, the impact of violent video games, data on gun violence, and police stops of African American drivers.
  • A new chapter on Social Network Analysis, Crime Mapping, and Big Data (Chapter 11) explores methods for intelligence-led policing.
  • New student quotations contain real stories from students who have taken a research methods course about how the class has helped them in their careers.
  • Emerging topics in research have been added or expanded, such as the role of values in research, the Institutional Review Board, errors in survey research, and qualitative data analysis.
  • Case studies have been updated throughout to focus on challenges currently facing the criminal justice system, such as school shootings, police decision making, the evolution of cybercrime, and networks of terrorist cells.
  • New sections of “research in a diverse society” discuss the importance of making sure our samples, measurements, and methods are inclusive and sensitive to the diverse nature of our society.
  • A discussion of research philosophies has been streamlined and is more integrated in the discussion of different types of methods.

KEY FEATURES:

  • "Careers and Research” profiles highlight the relevance of research in today’s job market by demonstrating the use of research methods within a variety of professions.  
  • Real-world criminal justice cases and issues illustrate the methods described, capturing student interest and helping them better understand contemporary research and its application in their field of study
  • Expansive, up-to-date exercise sets for SPSS use in data analysis, ethics, and Internet research help students master the concepts and techniques presented.
  • SAGE edge provides students helpful tools, including eFlashcards, practice quizzes, and more, in one easy-to-use online environment.

For instructors

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