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Criminology Research Methods (Level 5)

Overview

  • Credit value: 30 credits at Level 5
  • Convenor: Dr Amy Kirby
  • Assessment: a 1000-word methods analysis (30%), 2500-word empirical analysis (60%) and five-minute audio recording of a critical reflection (10%)

Module description

In this module we introduce you to the fundamentals of quantitative and qualitative methods in the social sciences as applied to criminological and criminal justice research.

You will learn about principles and practices of criminological research through an examination of case studies in the field, and about the strengths and limits of various research methodologies, their theoretical foundations and the ethical issues that are raised in criminological and criminal justice research.

You will develop the critical skills necessary to understand, analyse and evaluate the research you read in academic journals, government reports and popular media. In addition, you will engage with the step-by-step process of doing research, from turning a research idea into a question on to conducting the study within given practical and ethical constrains, and then analysing data using a range of theoretical and methodological tools.

Indicative syllabus

  • Understanding social research
  • Understanding methodological principles and approaches
  • Why language matters in social research
  • Why ethics matter in social research
  • Developing a reflective and reflexive research practice
  • Researching and analysing documents
  • Researching and analysing the visual
  • Researching and analysing human experience

Learning objectives

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

  • understand and evaluate a range of social research methods, their principles and practice, and identify their application in criminology
  • identify and evaluate ethical issues and tensions for social research
  • understand the significance of reflective and reflexive research practice
  • understand and evaluate social research literature
  • understand different approaches to social research including methods that do and do not involve human participants
  • recognise the importance of social, cultural and political contexts for social research methods
  • express points of view, clearly and effectively, in talk and in writing.