Course overview
This course will provide students with the basic tools to be an informed and critical user of research methods in criminal justice settings. It will introduce students to the ways in which criminological researchers measure and evaluate various themes including crime rates and responses, factors underpinning offending, and media representations of crime. Students will learn how to formulate feasible research questions, and the methods that can be used to answer such questions. The course will highlight strengths and weaknesses of various research methods and allow students to apply the methodological reasoning acquired in the course to review current research literature.
Course learning outcomes
- Evaluate the purpose of criminological research and its potential to investigate contemporary issues through both quantitative and qualitative approaches
- Identify the range of methods, techniques, and skills used in contemporary criminological research and their capacity to solve specific problems
- Demonstrate skills in criminological research methods including the ethical and practical aspects of researching criminological problems, critical reading, reflection, and analytical writing
- Locate, analyse, and synthesise academic literature to inform a research question
Degree list
The following degrees include this course