Criminological Skills and Research for Beginners

A Student's Guide

Laura Caulfield, Jane Hill

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2018
• eBook ISBN: 9781351703864
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Criminology
• Index: Social Sciences

Criminological Skills and Research for Beginners is a comprehensive and engaging guide to research methods in Criminology, and the skills required for academic success. Written specifically for undergraduate students and novice researchers, this book has been designed as a lively and accessible guide to planning, conducting and reporting research in the subject. It emphasises practical skills required in studying Criminology, the importance of criminological research, and places related methodology firmly in the context of students' broader study of the discipline, before moving on to provide a detailed guide to the actual processes of research.

It is common for Criminology undergraduates to feel intimidated at the prospect of conducting their own research, and these students typically struggle to see the relevance of research methods to their own studies. This book speaks directly to the needs of such students, and includes contemporary examples and case studies that bring a topic that is often thought of as dry to life, providing a thorough and accessible practical guide that students can return to at each stage of their research, all the way through to their dissertation.

This book covers:

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• an examination of the theoretical, political and ethical debates in criminological research;

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• a complete guide to planning criminological research, assisting student researchers in identifying their research questions, choosing their research methods and critiquing the available literature;

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• guidance on the practicalities and processes of collecting data;

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• a discussion of the process of analysing data and writing up research.

New to the second edition is a brand new section on research skills in Criminology, including detailed coverage of writing skills, referencing, dissertations and research reports, presentation skills and revision. The book also offers additional coverage of the politics of criminological research and the presentation of official crime statistics. Including an extensive glossary and an integrated companion website with extra examples, exercises and videos to further develop students' understanding, this book is essential reading for any undergraduate on a Criminological Research Methods or Research Skills course, or for anyone in need of practical guidance on any or all of the various stages involved in conducting thorough and effective criminological research.

PART I

Study skills for criminology students

Chapter 1

Writing skills and essay writing

GOALS OF THIS CHAPTER

At the end of this chapter you will:

• have the tools to enable you to write clearly;

• be able to unpick essay questions in order to produce clear arguments in relation to those questions;

• be able to plan and structure your essay;

• have the editing skills to improve your early drafts.

Writing in an academic setting can be a fear-provoking activity. In this chapter we hope to reduce such fears but also to reduce the complacency that is often exhibited when students – who have after all made the grade to get a place at university – first begin a course. During the course of your degree you will be expected to carry out assignments that require different styles of writing but we are beginning with essay writing as this is something with which most students are familiar, although about which they are not necessarily confident.

We are well aware that ‘life’ can get in the way of a good essay. It may be for some that university life is providing new and exciting social opportunities, a time for fun and freedom, but students are increasingly balancing work and family commitments with their studies. For these reasons it is important to be as organised as possible. The more skills you are able to develop early on in your studies, the easier it will become to complete assignments to the standard required. We want you to have time for fun, family and friends but also we hope to equip you with the skills you will need to maximise your chances of doing well and of enjoying the process of writing. Producing a well-constructed piece of writing, and gaining good marks for it, can be a highly rewarding activity.

PREPARING TO WRITE

First, some basics. When you begin a course, your first week may seem overwhelming. You will be given many course materials, all of which will provide you with essential and further reading lists, essay and other assignment details as well as deadlines. We believe that one of the most important things you should do in your first week is to make a note of the dates on which your assignments are due (most of you will have mobile phones, so put the dates in your phone and set reminders). There are usually penalties for work that is handed in late so, no matter how good you are at writing, missing a date could be catastrophic. The next thing you should do is to have a good look at the course materials. It is unusual to have no choice about an assignment, so read through the essay questions carefully and choose topics that ‘light your fire’. There will be competition for the resources you will need to complete the assignment, so get to the library as quickly as possible.

TIP

Don’t forget to check the word length. Writing succinctly is also a skill you will need to practise in order to ensure that you do not lose marks.

BOX 1.1 COMMON ESSAY ‘COMMANDS’

Compare and contrast …	You are being asked to examine the similarities and differences between specific sources or theoretical positions.
Critically evaluate …	You are being asked to judge an idea, theory or argument. In order to do this you must look at other sources and make an effort to comment on how these sources may be better or worse than the one being evaluated. You will need to weigh up the strengths and weaknesses of each (this is what is meant by being critical – it is not the same as criticising) in order to demonstrate to the reader how you have made your judgements (yes, you can make how you have made your judgements (yes, you can make judgements but you must back them up).
Discuss …	After examining the evidence develop an argument.
Examine …	Consider an idea, theory or argument in depth. Try to probe the assumptions behind the subject of your discussion and make comments that allow your reader to understand what you have deduced from your examination.
Illustrate …	Many questions will include this term which should signal that you must provide examples that will enable you to explain and clarify a point.
Review …	Suggests an in-depth assessment and critical analysis.

What is the question asking you to do?

Before you begin to write you must ensure that you are clear about what the question is asking you to do. You must also have done enough reading to enable you to answer the question in a logical and coherent fashion. One of the most common reasons for poor grades is the failure to provide a direct answer to the question. It is quite common for students to display a lot of knowledge about a topic without displaying the ability to analyse the sources they have used. Such descriptive writing does not demonstrate to the reader that the sources referred to in the essay have been understood. (We call this the ‘vomit’ approach to writing because everything a student can find on a given topic is spewed out with no thought given to the task of answering the question that has been set.)

What does the question entail?

All questions entail certain assumptions that you will need to unravel. Questions may use general terms that you may need to define for yourselves. For example, consider the following question:

Critically discuss	the view that illegal drug use	is a major cause of violent crimes
The PEE approach: make Points; provide Evidence; Explain your points by discussing the evidence. Ask yourself: ‘How convincing are my points?’ Can you rebut an opposing view?	What is the key term here? You are being asked to discuss the issue of illegal drug use but you will need to break down the concept of illegal drug use in order to define the terms of your answer (see Chapter 9).	The key terms here are major cause and violent crimes. The assumption behind the question is that there is a significant relationship between the independent variable (drug use) and the dependent variable (violent crime).

Once you have broken down the question you will need to decide where to go from there. Do you agree with the assumption behind the question? From what you have learned on your course so far, can you say why you agree or disagree? Does the question, in your opinion, disguise a more important issue? For example, you may have read something about the violence in the USA during the period in which the use of alcohol (now a legal drug) was prohibited, which leads you to think that maybe it is not necessarily the use of drugs that is the problem. Alternatively, you may have some knowledge about the numbers of violent crimes that appear to be related to excessive (legal) use of alcohol, which makes you think that there may be an excessive focus on illegal drug use in society. Note that as a criminology student you will need to be aware of the different ways in which statistics on crime are produced. When an author ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• List of figures
• List of tables
• List of boxes
• Visual tour (How to use this book)
• Part I Study skills for criminology students
• Part II The importance of criminological research
• Part III Getting going with criminological research
• Part IV Doing criminological research: data collection
• Part V Doing criminological research: analysis and writing up
• Glossary
• References
• Index