Fundamentals of Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice 6/e

Ronet D. Bachman, PhD, worked as a statistician at the Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, before going back to an academic career; she is now a professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at the University of Delaware. She is coauthor of Statistical Methods for Criminology and Criminal Justice and coeditor of Explaining Criminals and Crime: Essays in Contemporary Criminal Theory. In addition, she is the author of Death and Violence on the Reservation and coauthor of Stress, Culture, and Aggression; Murder American Style; and Violence: The Enduring Problem, along with numerous articles and papers that examine the epidemiology and etiology of violence, with particular emphasis on women, the elderly, and minority populations as well as research examining desistance from crime. Her most recent federally funded research was a mixed-methods study that examined the long-term desistance trajectories of criminal justice involved drug-involved individuals who have been followed with both quantitative and interview data for nearly thirty years. Her current state-funded research is assessing the needs of violent crime victims, especially those whose voices are rarely heard such as loved ones of homicide victims. Russell K. Schutt, PhD, is professor emeritus of sociology at the University of Massachusetts Boston, where he received the 2007 Chancellor's Award for Distinguished Service and taught from 1979 to 2022. He is also a Clinical Research Scientist I at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and a Lecturer (part-time) in the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School. He completed his BA, MA, and PhD degrees at the University of Illinois at Chicago and was a postdoctoral fellow in the Sociology of Social Control Training Program at Yale University (where he met Dan). In addition to ten editions of Investigating the Social World: The Process and Practice of Research and one of Understanding the Social World, as well as coauthored versions for the fields of social work, criminal justice, psychology, and education, his other books include Homelessness, Housing, and Mental Illness (2011), Social Neuroscience: Brain, Mind, and Society (coedited, 2015), and Organization in a Changing Environment (1986). He has authored and coauthored more than 65 peer reviewed journal articles, as well as book chapters and research reports on homelessness, mental health, organizations, law, and teaching research methods. His currently a Dual Principal Investigator (with Matcheri Keshavan, MD) in randomized comparative effectiveness trial of two socially-oriented interventions to improve community functioning among persons diagnosed with serious mental illness, funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). His other recently concluded research includes co-principal investigator on a National Science Foundation-funded study of the social impact of the pandemic in Boston, and co-investigator on a Veterans Health Administration-funded study of peer support. His earlier research has been funded by the National Cancer Institute, the Veterans Health Administration, the National Institute of Mental Health, the Fetzer Institute, and state agencies. Details are available at https://blogs.umb.edu/russellkschutt/.

Preface Acknowledgments About the Authors Chapter 1: Science, Society, and Research Related to Criminal Justice and Criminology Reasoning About the Social World Types of Research Questions Alternative Research Orientations Quantitative and Qualitative Methods Highlighting a Few Specific Types of Research Methods Doing Research in a Diverse Society Conclusion Key Terms Highlights Exercises Chapter 2: The Process and Problems of Research The Research Process The Role of Theory Social Research Strategies Social Research Standards Conclusion Key Terms Highlights Exercises Chapter 3: Ethical Guidelines for Research Historical Background of Ethics in Research Ethical Principles Research Involving Special Populations: Children and Those Under Correctional Supervision Research on the Web: Contemporary Ethical Issues Conclusion Key Terms Highlights Exercises Chapter 4: Conceptualization and Measurement Concepts and Conceptualization Overview of Basic Measurement Tools Did We Measure What We Wanted to Measure-Are They Valid? Are Our Measures Reliable? A Comment on Measurement in a Diverse Society Conclusion Key Terms Highlights Exercises Chapter 5: Sampling Sample Planning Probability Sampling Methods Nonprobability Sampling Methods Purposive or Judgment Sampling Units of Analysis and Errors in Causal Reasoning The Ecological Fallacy and Reductionism Conclusion Key Terms Highlights Exercises Chapter 6: Causation and Experimentation Causal Explanations Criteria for Nomothetic Causal Explanations A True Experimental Design What If a True Experiment Isn't Possible? Quasi-Experimental Designs What Are the Threats to Internal Validity and Generalizability in Experiments? Generalizability The Element of Time in Research How Do Experimenters Protect Their Subjects? Conclusion Key Terms Highlights Exercises Chapter 7: Survey Research What Is a Survey? Questionnaire Development and Assessment Writing Survey Questions: More Difficult Than You Think! Additional Guidelines for Closed-Ended Questions Other Issues in Questionnaire Development Survey Designs Ethical Issues in Survey Research Conclusion Key Terms Highlights Exercises Chapter 8: Qualitative Methods and Data Analysis Fundamentals of Qualitative Methods Participant Observation Steps in Participant Observation Research Systematic Observation Intensive Interviewing Focus Groups Analyzing Qualitative Data Ethical Issues in Qualitative Research Conclusion Key Terms Highlights Exercises Chapter 9: Analyzing Content and Police Data: Social-Network Analysis, Crime Mapping, Big Data, and Content Analysis Analyzing Secondary Data Social-Network Analysis Crime Mapping Big Data Content Analysis Ethical Issues When Analyzing Available Data and Content Conclusion Key Terms Highlights Exercises Chapter 10: Evaluation and Policy Analysis A Brief History of Evaluation Research Evaluation Basics Questions for Evaluation Research Design Decisions Strengths of Randomized Experimental Designs in Impact Evaluations Increasing Demand for Evidence-Based Policy Ethics in Evaluation Conclusion Key Terms Highlights Exercises Chapter 11: Mixed-Methods and Assessing Findings Across Studies What Are Mixed Methods? Types of Mixed-Methods Designs Comparing Results Across Studies Ethics and Mixed Methods Conclusion Key Terms Highlights Exercises Chapter 12: Summarizing and Reporting Research Research Report Goals Types of Research Reports Displaying Data Ethics, Politics, and Reporting Research Conclusion Key Terms Highlights Exercises Appendix A: Questions to Ask About A Research Article Appendix B: How to Read a Research Article Appendix C: How to Use a Statistical Package: SPSS Appendix D: How to Use a Qualitative Analysis Package Appendix E: How to Use a Data Spreadsheet: Excel Appendix F: Quantitative Data Analysis Appendix G: Data Sets Glossary References Index

I would tell my colleagues that they would have to try this book for their research methods course. Why?-because it is easy for students to read and it is easy to construct a semester-long course around. Moreover, the clarity of the writing will reduce the number of students who are confused. -- Kevin Beaver