Research Process, Methods, and Ethics in Criminology

This report provides an overview of the research process, methods, and ethics in criminology. It discusses the qualitative research method, its strengths and weaknesses, as well as the ethical issues that criminologists need to consider. The report also highlights the differences between qualitative and quantitative research methods.

Assessment

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Main Body ......................................................................................................................................3
Process of research......................................................................................................................3
Research method of qualitative research along with strengths and weaknesses.........................3
Discuss ethics in research along with ethical issues need to consider by criminologist during
research.......................................................................................................................................4
Differences between qualitative and quantitative research.........................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
The current report provides detailed prospective about research along with process and
methods of research ( Hu and Gholizadeh, 2019). It comprises methods of qualitative research
with advantage and disadvantages. Further, several ethics that need to follow by researcher are
also discussed in the following report. Lastly, difference between qualitative and quantitative
methods also elaborated present report.
Main Body
Process of research
It is analysed that researchers undertakes a complete process in order to perform research
and draw meaningful conclusion (Friedlander, Heatherington and Escudero, 2016). Here
researcher, first identifies the research problem that need to be addressed throughout the project.
The whole project is based on this problem so it need to select carefully with due considerations.
After identification of problem, investigator go through with the literature review that comprise
results of previous studies on that particular topic. It is essential step as it provides ample of
information to researcher about previous findings, studies, results that eventually help to generate
better understanding about topic. Here, hypothesis, research questions that will proved by
researcher thorough the result of research. After this, investigator develops research design as per
which data is collected and interpreted. There are different types of designs are used in research
that affect the overall process. Lastly, researcher draw appropriate findings out of research
results in order to attain predefined objectives. At this stage, researcher draw appropriate
conclusion with available information to reach at achieve desired results. Therefore, researcher
go through with a complete process comprising several steps while conducting research to
address a particular problem in an efficient manner.
Research method of qualitative research along with strengths and weaknesses
Qualitative research is an essential approach of research which helps to get detailed
information on a particular topic. There are several methods such as interview, focus group,
observations and more included in qualitative research. Here, interview is consider as most
common way to gather necessary data for the purpose of research. In this, investigator interact
with single respondent at a time in order to collect appropriate data. It is analysed that these
interviews can be done over phone or with face to face interaction. Interview is conducted for on

e to two hours and more depend on the purpose of research, number of questions and other such
factors (Brannen, 2017). It helps to gather detailed information with face to face interaction that
is essential to collect some additional information. Therefore, most of the investigator undertake
this method in order to achieve better results.
Strengths:
This method is suitable to get precise as well as accurate information that will help
investigator to draw necessary conclusions.
In case of face to face interview researcher can judge the body language of respondents
that will eventually help to reach at meaningful conclusion.
Disadvantages:
It is analysed that this approach is time taking as researcher need to devote plenty of time
to gather desired informations from respondents.
In addition, it is also consider as a costly and time consuming methods that do not
provide results in less time period. Here, researcher need to give higher time to interact with
respondents that sometimes increase the overall cost of research.
Discuss ethics in research along with ethical issues need to consider by criminologist during
research
Ethics in research:
Ethics refers to the guidelines that are necessary to follow by researcher while
undertaking a research project. These are formulate to draw appropriate results and educate
scientist in order to conduct research within ethical standards (McKenna and Gray, 2018). There
should be some general principles such as honesty, integrity, objectivity and more that are
essential to abide by investigator throughout the project. It helps to conduct research in an
efficient manner and draw appropriate conclusion. Therefore ethics are essential and need to
follow by researcher in an efficient manner in order to attain predefined objectives within
determined guidelines.
Ethical issues in Criminology
There are some ethics in research that need are follow by researcher in order to conduct
research in ethical manner. Certain, challenges that are faced by Criminologist during research
are mentioned as under:

Conflicts of interest: In case of criminology research, it is possible to face conflicts of
interest between researcher and agency. It may possible that data collected by investigator has
opposition to values and objectives of funding agency. This conflict of interest between both of
the crucial parties become a reason of ethical issues within research.
Maintaining confidentiality: The major ethical issue in criminology is related to
confidentiality of information that can be easily misused by some other person. It is really
essential to protect band secure available data in order to get appropriate results. There are some
unauthorized users who reveal data to other parities that may create higher problems for
researcher.
Differences between qualitative and quantitative research
It is analysed that qualitative and quantitative methods both are important in research and
help to draw appropriate conclusion. Differences between both of the methods is discussed as
under:
Quantitative Qualitative
Quantitative research comprises graphs,
numbers, statistical techniques to analyse the
available data and information (Boddy, 2016).
In Qualitative research methods such as
interview, focus group, observations are used
to get detailed information on a particular
topic.
In case of quantitative research main focus is
to test the predefined theory and hypothesis
that have been generated by researcher in order
to reach at appropriate conclusion.
Here, main emphasis is on development of new
theory and approach. It focuses to generate
new ideas rather testing existing ones.
Here, different data collection method such as
observation, experiments are used for the
purpose of research.
In case of qualitative research, differences
methods such as focus group, case studies are
undertake with an aim to get detailed
information.

CONCLUSION
With above discussion, it is analysed that research is crucial to bring new and innovative
approaches for the benefit of whole society. In addition, it also help to solve a particular problem
prevailing within society. There are some steps along with research ethics are followed by
investigator to conduct research in proper manner. It can be concluded that there is difference
between qualitative and quantitative method of research.

REFR!ENCES
Books and Journals
Boddy, C.R., 2016. Sample size for qualitative research. Qualitative Market Research: An
International Journal.
Brannen, J. ed., 2017. Mixing methods: Qualitative and quantitative research. Routledge.
Friedlander, M.L., Heatherington, L. and Escudero, V., 2016. based change mechanisms:
Advances in process research.
Hu, X. and Gholizadeh, M., 2019. Biomass pyrolysis: A review of the process development and
challenges from initial researches up to the commercialisation stage. Journal of Energy
Chemistry, 39, pp.109-143.
McKenna, L. and Gray, R., 2018. The importance of ethics in research
publications. Collegian, 25(2), pp.147-148.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals