A variety of methods and designs can be used in criminal justice research. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are valid approaches to the sociological questions researchers will have when faced with presenting problems and issues. Ideally, criminal justice research should remain relevant, grounded in theory, and applicable to public policy or practice. Criminal justice policies and procedures can and should be evidence-based. Scientific research helps to identify which interventions or policies work, and which do not, based on quantitative data or on phenomenological factors like public opinion.
The two main branches of social science research include qualitative and quantitative designs. Qualitative research is not necessarily inferior to quantitative research in the social sciences because measurable outcomes cannot account for all aspects of the human experience. Therefore, researchers will often use qualitative methods like in-depth interviews, case studies, and focus groups in order to gather information, ask open-ended questions, and ascertain variables that can later be tested more empirically. Qualitative research can therefore become the forerunner to quantitative research. Many criminal justice researchers also opt for mixed methods or multimethod approaches, which allow for the integration of data from both types of studies (Maxwell, Chmiel & Rogers, 2016). Unlike quantitative research, qualitative research is driven by questions and not hypotheses, and does not purport to establish causal or even correlative connections between variables. Quantitative research is based on the scientific method.
Components of criminal justice research that are shared in common among both qualitative and quantitative research methods include the necessity of defining terms (operationalizing), outlining the gaps in the literature or motivation for the current research, and explaining the researcher’s theoretical orientation. Research often follows from theory, but research can also inform or enhance existing criminal justice theory. Likewise, researchers need to explain why they selected the type of design and methodology used in the study whether it is qualitative and quantitative research. Issues related to reliability and validity are as important in qualitative as in quantitative research in the social sciences.
Quantitative research follows the five steps of the scientific method, regardless of research design. The five steps of the scientific method include the making of observations, the formulation...
References
“Criminology and Criminal Justice Research: Methods - Quantitative Research Methods,” (n.d.). http://law.jrank.org/pages/923/Criminology-Criminal-Justice-Research-Methods-Quantitative-research-methods.html
Flom, P. (2018). Five characteristics of the scientific methods. Sciencing. https://sciencing.com/five-characteristics-scientific-method-10010518.html
Maxwell, J.A., Chmiel, M. & Rogers, S.E. (2016). Designing integration in multimethod and mixed method research. In Hesse-Biber, S.N. & Johnson, B. (Eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Multimethod and Mixed Methods Research Inquiry. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
“Quantitative Approaches,” (n.d.). Center for innovation in research and teaching. https://cirt.gcu.edu/research/developmentresources/research_ready/quantresearch/approaches
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