Research and Theory in Criminal Justice

Criminal justice researchers are usually faced with numerous anecdotal data that is supported with relatively little to no empirical support. In order to effectively explore nuances of the issues that face the society with regards to law enforcement, criminal justice researchers tend to rely on empirical data, which is considered useful. The dependence on empirical data in criminal justice is evident in the fact that most of the existing criminology journals are quantitative as compared to qualitative studies (Jacques, 2014). Empirical research data is data obtained from direct and indirect observation of a complex social issue whereas anecdotal data is data obtained from someone else's observation or experience of an issue. In the criminal justice field, empirical research data is used to inform evidence-based practices in this field because it's based on well-designed analytical approaches and studies. In some cases, empirical research evidence is used to confirm anecdotal data as shown in existing scientific literature (Ellis, Hartley & Walsh, 2010).

In contrast, anecdotal research data is sometimes used as the basis for empirical research since it's suitable for some tasks. Therefore, the place of anecdotal data in formal research in this field is to provide a basis for conducting empirical research. However, criminal justice data may be evaluated and interpreted on the basis of empirical evidence, which is a reflection of high level of statistical analysis carried out by criminal justice researchers. There is need to consider how anecdotal data might have influenced the empirical evidence published in research findings since these types of data are suitable for different kinds of tasks (Jacques, 2014).

Week 2 -- Discussion

Since scientists have engaged in some ethically questionable and unsound research in order to examine complex issues, ethics has become an important issue in criminal justice research. Ethical considerations have become crucial in criminal justice research because most of the experiments carried out in this field involve human subjects. Consequently, ethical research is this field is defined and governed by certain principles relating to handling human subjects in experiments. These principles include informed consent and confidentiality, which are considered necessary for protection of researchers and helpless subjects (Jones, 2012). With regards to confidentiality, criminal justice researchers are ethically obligated to safeguard their data from any use against the participants in court proceedings. In relation to informed consent, researchers must provide participants with explanations of the research process and ensure that participation is voluntary. Consequently, when evaluating criminal justice data and interpreting the findings of published research, some of the tenets of ethical research include respect for persons, privacy, justice and beneficence.

Week 2 Discussion 2

Even though research plays an important role in describing, evaluating, and quantifying various physical and social issues, theory is an important part of this process. A theory is applicable and informs a research study through providing a basis for developing reasonable explanations of reality. Through the use of theory, criminal justice researchers can effectively categorize and organize events, explain their root causes and forecast future incidents or events. This implies that information derived from theories is primarily used to understand why and how complex social phenomena in the criminal justice field occur. A generalized theory remains relevant to new or innovative studies based on how it effectively explains the causes and processes of complex social phenomena such as a crime. While the methods for carrying out these activities may change, a generalized theory remains relevant based on how it promotes a general understanding of the issue.

References

Ellis, L., Hartley, R.D. & Walsh, A. (2010). Research methods in criminal justice and criminology: an interdisciplinary approach. New York, NY: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

Jacques, S. (2014, January 20). The Quantitative-Qualitative Divide in Criminology: A Theory of Ideas' Importance, Attractiveness, and Publication. Theoretical Criminology, 18(3), 317-334.

Jones, J.A. (2012). Ethical Considerations in Criminal Justice Research: Informed Consent and Confidentiality. Inquiries, 4(8), 1-2.