Lectures criminological research
Lecture 1: 22-04-2001
Research designs in quantitative criminology
Interdisciplinary science!
Different explanatory models e.g.:
Psychology : Individual traits, behavior, mental health
Sociology : social structures, group dynamics, norms
Economy : economic inequality, poverty, opportunity
Analysis level : helps locate where the cause of the problem is being
explored.
Individual or small group level (e.g.
Micro
motivations, choices)
Community or institutional level (e.g. school,
Meso
workplace)
Macr Societal or structural level (e.g. law,
o economy, inequality)
📝 Important: Qualitative research often explores micro or meso levels in
depth.
Empirical focus
Direct/indirect observations and experiences
Empirical Focus: Qual vs Quan
Category Qualitative Quantitative
, Understand how and Measure how much, how often,
Goal
why something happens what patterns
Data Textual (interviews, field Numerical (surveys, stats, official
Type notes, etc.) data)
Approac Exploratory, open-
Hypothesis-testing, theory-driven
h ended, interpretive
N
(sample Small (in-depth) Large (generalizable)
size)
Often build theory from Often test theory with data
Theory
data (inductive) (deductive)
Use in
Still rare, but important Dominant method – used to
Criminol
for depth & context evaluate policies, predict crime, etc.
ogy
4. Quantitative Crime Research (More Details)
Quantitative = dominant in criminology 📊
What it does:
Describes crime trends over time (e.g. increasing theft)
Tests criminological theories using statistics (e.g. strain theory)
Predicts crime occurrences and risk factors
Evaluates justice policies and programs (e.g. "Does stop-and-frisk
reduce crime?")
Common Data Sources:
Official crime stats (e.g. police, courts)
Surveys (self-report, victimization)
Non-judicial data (e.g. hospital reports)
,5. Why Use Qualitative Research Then?
Even if it’s less common, qualitative research is essential for:
Understanding people’s lived experiences (e.g. how it feels to be
policed)
Getting insights from underrepresented voices (e.g. ex-offenders,
marginalized groups)
Building new theories when old ones don’t fit new realities
Uncovering the meaning behind actions (e.g. why someone commits a
specific crime)
Qual = depth, context, new theory.
Quan = breadth, measurement, generalization.
Criminologists often combine both to get a fuller picture.
, Descriptive
Quantitative Research Designs in Criminology
These designs are used to measure, analyze, and predict patterns in
crime using numbers and large datasets.
1. Descriptive Research
🧠 Goal: To describe the who, what, where, and when of crime.
✅ Examples:
How many burglaries occurred in Amsterdam in 2024?
What percentage of suspects are under 25?
Where are most assaults happening?
🧰 Tools/Methods:
Surveys, official statistics (like UCR or NIBRS)
Crime maps, frequency tables, trend graphs
📈 Used for:
Lecture 1: 22-04-2001
Research designs in quantitative criminology
Interdisciplinary science!
Different explanatory models e.g.:
Psychology : Individual traits, behavior, mental health
Sociology : social structures, group dynamics, norms
Economy : economic inequality, poverty, opportunity
Analysis level : helps locate where the cause of the problem is being
explored.
Individual or small group level (e.g.
Micro
motivations, choices)
Community or institutional level (e.g. school,
Meso
workplace)
Macr Societal or structural level (e.g. law,
o economy, inequality)
📝 Important: Qualitative research often explores micro or meso levels in
depth.
Empirical focus
Direct/indirect observations and experiences
Empirical Focus: Qual vs Quan
Category Qualitative Quantitative
, Understand how and Measure how much, how often,
Goal
why something happens what patterns
Data Textual (interviews, field Numerical (surveys, stats, official
Type notes, etc.) data)
Approac Exploratory, open-
Hypothesis-testing, theory-driven
h ended, interpretive
N
(sample Small (in-depth) Large (generalizable)
size)
Often build theory from Often test theory with data
Theory
data (inductive) (deductive)
Use in
Still rare, but important Dominant method – used to
Criminol
for depth & context evaluate policies, predict crime, etc.
ogy
4. Quantitative Crime Research (More Details)
Quantitative = dominant in criminology 📊
What it does:
Describes crime trends over time (e.g. increasing theft)
Tests criminological theories using statistics (e.g. strain theory)
Predicts crime occurrences and risk factors
Evaluates justice policies and programs (e.g. "Does stop-and-frisk
reduce crime?")
Common Data Sources:
Official crime stats (e.g. police, courts)
Surveys (self-report, victimization)
Non-judicial data (e.g. hospital reports)
,5. Why Use Qualitative Research Then?
Even if it’s less common, qualitative research is essential for:
Understanding people’s lived experiences (e.g. how it feels to be
policed)
Getting insights from underrepresented voices (e.g. ex-offenders,
marginalized groups)
Building new theories when old ones don’t fit new realities
Uncovering the meaning behind actions (e.g. why someone commits a
specific crime)
Qual = depth, context, new theory.
Quan = breadth, measurement, generalization.
Criminologists often combine both to get a fuller picture.
, Descriptive
Quantitative Research Designs in Criminology
These designs are used to measure, analyze, and predict patterns in
crime using numbers and large datasets.
1. Descriptive Research
🧠 Goal: To describe the who, what, where, and when of crime.
✅ Examples:
How many burglaries occurred in Amsterdam in 2024?
What percentage of suspects are under 25?
Where are most assaults happening?
🧰 Tools/Methods:
Surveys, official statistics (like UCR or NIBRS)
Crime maps, frequency tables, trend graphs
📈 Used for:
