1st Edition
Research Ethics in Criminology Dilemmas, Issues and Solutions
Ethical principles and concerns are at the heart of criminological research and can arise at the planning, implementation and reporting stages. It is vital that researchers are aware of the issues involved so that they can make informed decisions about the implications of certain choices. This cutting-edge book charts the changing topography of ethics, governance and accountability for social science research in criminology, contributes to the developing discourse on research ethics and demonstrates the importance as to why research ethics should be taken seriously. Bringing together a range of experts who consider both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. This book examines the key issues and challenges of ethical research. Topics covered include:
- the measures in place to ensure ethical research practice for social scientists;
- the relationship between state funding and research findings;
- the challenge of researching sensitive areas;
- the changing face of governance and accountability for academic criminology.
Research Ethics in Criminology is a comprehensive and accessible text that is ideal for students studying criminological research methods. Supplementary material includes key points, chapter summaries, critical thinking questions, key definitions, case examples, and recommendations for further reading. This book will provide a thorough grounding in the ethical issues faced by researchers, as well as an understanding of the role and purpose of ethics committees.
Introduction (Malcolm Cowburn, Loraine Gelsthorpe and Azrini Wahidin)
Part I: Research Methods: Issues and Practice
Introduction to Part I
1. The ethical challenges of evidence based policy research (Chris Fox)
2. Criminal history: Uses of the past and the ethics of the archive (Paul Knepper)
3. Ethical Challenges: Doing research with children (Evi Girling)
4. The role of ethics in prisoner research (Linda Moore and Azrini Wahidin)
5. Researching the Police: inside-outside perspectives in a new world of police professionalism and practitioner research (Peter Neyroud)
6. The ethics of research on social work in criminal justice (David Smith)
Part II: Foregrounding Sensitive Issues: Politics, Ethics and dilemmas
Introduction to Part II
7.Researching sex crimes and sex offenders: some ethical and epistemological considerations (Malcolm Cowburn)
8. Researching Child Sexual Assault: Towards a Child Sensitive Methodology (Simon Hackett)
9. Ethical Challenges: Researching War Crimes (Kirsten Campbell)
10. Methodological innovations and ethical challenges in green criminology (Avi Brisman and Nigel South)
Part III: The Changing Face of Governance: Issues, Dilemmas and Practical Solutions
Introduction to Part III
11. Ethics in Criminological Research: A Powerful Force, or a Force for the Powerful? (Mark Israel and Loraine Gelsthorpe)
12. Doing the Right Thing: Some notes on the control of research in British criminology (Simon Winlow and Fiona Measham)
13. Critical Reflections Creating, Curtailing and Communicating Academic Freedoms (Malcolm Cowburn, Loraine Gelsthorpe and Azrini Wahidin)
Biography
Malcolm Cowburn is Emeritus Professor of Applied Social Science at Sheffield Hallam University.
Loraine Gelsthorpe is Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge.
Azrini Wahidin is Associate Dean of Research and Innovation in the School of Social Sciences, Business and Law, Teesside University
"Research Ethics in Criminology offers a comprehensive insight into the practicalities and difficulties confronted by students and academics conducting research into sensitive topic areas. Drawing on a wide range of expertise the book has been assembled with the needs of students, both undergraduate and postgraduate, foremost in mind and is, without doubt, an essential companion for those studying and researching within and around the discipline of criminology."
Dr Samantha Weston, Lecturer in Criminology, Keele University, UK
"This edited collection is a timely and significant contribution to the field of criminology and to the praxis of criminological research. The essays in the collection stand as thought provoking interventions in what is a challenging academic climate. Taken together, they are a ‘must read’ for students, researchers, and anyone else interested in the ethics and governance of social research."
Dr Jaime Waters, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Sheffield Hallam University, UK
