Controversies in Criminal Justice Research

by Tewksbury; Richard

• ISBN13: 9781583605479
• ISBN10: 1583605479
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2004-04-01
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

This book of original essays presents students with challenging looks at some of the most basic, and sometimes most difficult, decisions faced by criminal justice researchers. Each chapter presents an overview of a foundational question/issue in the conduct of research, and discussions of the options to resolve these controversies. Whether you plan to be a researcher or a consumer of research, you need to understand the decisions researchers must make and the underlying issues. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter help spark thought, review and debate.

Table of Contents

Dedication	p. iii
Acknowledgments	p. v
Preface	p. vii
Introduction	p. xi
Introductory Chapters
Should (Does) Criminal Justice Research Influence Social Policy?	p. 1
The Value of Purely Theoretical Research vs. More "Practical" Research	p. 13
How to Know if a Piece of Research Is Good/Valuable	p. 29
Quantitative Methods
Methodological Yin and Yang: Value of Qualitative and Quantitative Research in Social Science	p. 43
Original vs. Secondary Data Collection: The New Dilemma for Research	p. 65
Does Theory Really Guide Survey Research? Why Is Theory Important in Surveys?	p. 79
Macro and Micro Research Aproaches: Which Makes More Sense?	p. 91
Qualitative Methods
Getting In and Getting On: Entree Strategies and the Importance of Trust and Rapport in Qualitative Research	p. 103
Interviews as Data Collection Method: But, Which Type Should I Use?	p. 117
Validity of Participant Observational Data/Research	p. 141
Utility of Case Studies	p. 153
Conclusion	p. 163
References	p. 167
Contributors' Biographical Information	p. 181
Index	p. 185
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