Empirical Legal Research

Kees van den Bos, Professor, School of Law and Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, the Netherlands

• Contents: Part I. Start: Moving from Content to Empirical Research Questions 1. Why Empirical Legal Research 2. Research Goals, Problems and Questions Part II Research Methods: Studying Empirical Questions 3. Interviews 4. Surveys 5. Experiments Part III Interpreting Empirical Data: Moving Back to Content 6. Data Analyses 7. Reporting of Results 8. What Next References Subject Index

This textbook is a very accessible and practical guide to empirical legal research. The non-technical explanations of interviews, surveys and experiments make it easy to understand the pros and cons of each method and to know when to use them. It will be perfect as a textbook in an interdisciplinary methods course for law students.'--Sanne Taekema, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands'Empirical Legal Research: A Primer is a wonderful introduction to, and continuing reference for, the use of empirical methods to study legal issues. At a time when policy research, evidence-based legal process, and fact-based input into legal decisions are becoming more and more important, this book is a valuable resource for law students, legal scholars, practicing lawyers, and policy makers. The book is accessible and interesting - I recommend it!'--Allan Lind, Duke University, US'Empirical Legal Research: A Primer is a great book. It makes clear that doing empirical research is important, enriching and fun. It explains in a very simple, clear and effective way how to set up and carry out such research and what part of empirical research you can carry out yourself and when you need the help of an expert. If I had never done any empirical legal research myself, I'm sure that I would want to start immediately after reading this book.'--Bert Marseille, University of Groningen, the Netherlands