1.Critically evaluate a variety of approaches to conducting empirical and academic research into justice systems
2. Operate in an ethical context relevant to the level of study and professional context of justice systems
3. Provide a critical analysis of received approaches to research in justice systems and into your own research activities and findings

Assessment 1 – LO’s 1 and 3
Students will be required to identify a research topic and conduct a provisional literature review and methodology for study in their chosen topic area.
Assessment 2 – LO’s 1,2,3
Students will be required to produce a fully developed ethics form that will be based upon and include further development of material from coursework

Hypothesis of valid questions for enquiry within justice systems
Critical analysis of the process of research in justice systems and its component parts
Understanding management data sets within justice systems
Debating the appropriateness of various methodological approaches to research e.g. controlled trials, survey, grounded theory, thematic analysis and the specific challenges of operating within justice systems
Development of research questions and debate various approaches to answering these e.g. phenomenological approaches, feminist approaches, critical theory
Critical awareness of budgetary and ethical issues in research
nalysis of various sampling strategies and data collection techniques e.g. interview, observation, questionnaire, development
Development of competencies in various data analysis techniques e.g. relevant statistical tests, manual textual analysis
A systematic understanding of the range of traditional and cutting edge research methods available and when their use is appropriate
A practical understanding of how research is used to inform theory and practice in criminal justice
Ability to critically evaluate and interpret published research, to thoughtfully evaluate the pros and cons of various research designs and to generate novel hypotheses from the critique of published research
Theoretical and practical knowledge necessary for designing and conducting original research in the student’s chosen area.

This module provides students with grounding in empirical research methods for criminology. Students will learn about various approaches to research, including research design, data collection and analysis.
This will help to prepare students for their postgraduate independent study and will also be of use to those who wish to conduct research after completion of their studies.
The module examines various approaches to criminology research, drawing upon examples in the crime and justice field in order to illustrate broader concepts and theories.
Students will also explore specific issues relevant to criminology research, particularly in relation to access, ethical constraints, and data protection.
This builds a solid foundation which will help to prepare students for their postgraduate independent study and research project and support those who wish to conduct research after completion of their studies.

The module is delivered by way of online lectures (synchronous and asynchronous), which provides students with an overview of research methods and various approaches to conducting primary research in a criminological context.
Detailed pre-reading will be required before taught sessions, and students will be supervised as they seek to develop ideas for their Independent Studies
Students will gain formative feedback by a series of groups tasks that will be administered within the seminars.
Candidates will receive tuition on referencing technique in the social sciences, guidance on the avoidance of plagiarism, and all submitted coursework by MSc candidates will be expected to systematically follow the Harvard referencing system

Alasuutari, P., Bickman, L., and Brannen, J (eds.). (2008) The Sage Handbook of Social Research Methods. London: Sage.
Bryman, A. (2012). Social Research Methods, 4th Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Bryman, A. (2004) Quantity and Quality in Social Research. London: Routledge.
Crow, I. and Semmens, N. (2008) Researching Criminology. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Fielding, N., Lee, R.M., and Blank, G. (2008) The Sage Handbook of Online Research Methods. London: Sage.
Noaks, L., and Wincup, E. (2004) Criminological Research: Understanding Qualitative Methods. London: Sage.
Silverman, D. (ed). (2011). Qualitative Research: Issues of Theory, Method and Practice. 3rd Edition. London: Sage Publications.
Somekh, B., and Lewin, C. (2005) Research Methods in the Social Sciences. London: Sage.

Recommended texts
Babbie, E. (2013) The Practice of Social Research. 13th Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage.
Bachman, R., & Schutt, R.K., (2012) Fundamentals of Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice. 2nd Edition. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage.
Berry, D. (2010).Gaining Funding for Research: A Guide for Academics and Institutions. Berkshire: Open University Press
Davies, P., Francis, P., and Jupp, V. (2011) Doing Criminological Research. 2nd Edition. London: Sage.
Denzin, N.K., and Lincoln, Y.S. (2000) Handbook of Qualitative Research. 2nd Edition. London: Sage.
King, R., D. and Wincup E. (eds.). (2007) Doing Research on Crime and Justice. 2nd Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Hesse-Bibber, S.N., and Nagy, S. (2011) The Practice of Qualitative Research. 2nd Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Liamputtong, P. (2007) Researching the Vulnerable. London: Sage Publications.
Seale, C., Gobo, G., Gubrium, J.F., and Silverman, D. (eds.). (2004) Qualitative Research Practice. London: Sage.
Silverman, D. (2013) Doing Qualitative Research. 4th Edition. London: Sage.

During this module, you will be encouraged to utilise Microsoft Teams and Blackboard Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) to support your learning. You will be invited to collaborate with students and academic staff virtually through Microsoft Teams. You will have access to a range of materials on Blackboard VLE including articles, lecture slides, and interactive activities. You will also be able to access a variety of digital material through our¿Library¿and¿specialist¿databases.