Criminological Skills and Research for Beginners

Laura Caulfield is Professor and Chair of the Institute for Community Research and Development at the University of Wolverhampton, UK.Jane Hill was the Programme Director for the Criminology BA at Birmingham City University, UK, before her retirement in 2012.

• List of figuresList of tablesList of boxesVisual tour (How to use this book)Part I, Study skills for criminology students1. Writing skills and essay writing2. Referencing3. Revision skills and examination techniques4. Presentation skillsPart II, The importance of criminological research5. The context of criminological research: power, knowledge, politics and values6. The significance of criminological research: understanding the philosophical roots of our claims to know about crime in society7. The ethics of criminological researchPart III, Getting going with criminological research8. Planning: where do research ideas come from? How do we ‘fine tune’ them?9. Critiquing the literature and the process of writing your formal review10. Theories, methods and their relationships to theories of knowledge11. Preparing for the practical challenges of 'real-world' crime researchPart IV, Doing criminological research: data collection12. Qualitative approaches to research13. Questionnaires and surveys14. Using documentary and secondary data sources15. Using online and social media data sources in criminological research Part V, Doing criminological research: analysis and writing-up16. Analysing the data: quantitative analysis17. Analysing the data: qualitative analysis18. Analysing the data: documents, texts and other data19. Writing-up criminological researchGlossaryIndex

"This book is a one stop shop for being able to grow and succeed at university! It is a fantastic resource written and presented in a friendly and accessible way to support undergraduate students to develop their criminological and research skills. The book is broken down into byte sized chunks, and filled with practical tips, activities and tools that empower students to personalise their learning approach to achieve the best grades possible."David Patton, Associate Professor in Criminology, University of Derby, UK“This third edition offers students both transferrable academic skills as well as specialist knowledge of criminological research and how to put skills into action.The book covers the whole of the research journey and provides contemporary reflections on mixed methods and the use of social media which is highly relevant to students. There is strength in the coverage of how to analyse a range of research data and make sense of this in a way that can be articulated for assignments and non-academic audiences.”Teela Sanders, Professor in Criminology, University of Leicester, UK“This is a well thought-out study skills companion for all those engaging with Criminology and wider Social Science subjects. It is written in a clear and accessible way, with each chapter offering valuable knowledge and support that assists with development of the Criminological self. A highly recommended book.”Tina G. Patel, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, University of Salford, UK“Criminological Skills and Research for Beginners is an accessible yet theoretically sophisticated guide to the research and study skills students need. It is a text that captures the imagination with real-life examples and reassures students taking those first (and subsequent) steps in conducting criminological research. The new chapters in this 3rd edition on conducting online research and writing reflective essays are a welcome addition to the topics covered in previous editions. This continues to be an essential text for my research students.”Eleanor Peters, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Edge Hill University, UK“This book is an essential read for all criminology students! The new edition covers common issues that students struggle with like referencing and revision but also offers important sections on researcher wellbeing, and skills that will be useful beyond university, for example preparing a research proposal and research drawing on mixed method approaches. Key research skills including negotiating ethics, collecting and analysing data and writing up research projects are outlined in an easy to understand and accessible format. Students are encouraged to pause and reflect on their practice throughout. Criminological Skills and Research for Beginners is an invaluable tool to get you through your degree. Highly Recommended!"Mary Laing, Lecturer in Sociology, University of York, UK“Criminological Skills and Research for Beginners 3rd Ed is bolstered by the inclusion of discussion of researcher well-being, in particular. This topic is important, but all too often overlooked in research texts. Similarly, the new guidance on reflective essays is welcome and will be of great assistance to our students.”Alice Gerlach, Lecturer in Criminology, Oxford Brookes University, UK“This small book packs a punch. It is insightful, comprehensive and as such is a valuable resource and reference book for any student of criminology. This updated third edition is timely, including further material on doing research online and writing reflective pieces of work, ensuring that it remains relevant for students – and should be at the top of any reading list.”Victoria Bell, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, Teesside University, UK