Qualitative Research

• Explains lived experiences behind crime

• Gives voice to victims and practitioners

• Supports policy and justice reform

Why Qualitative Research Matters in

Criminology

• Focuses on meanings and

experiences

• Answers how and why

questions

• Uses interviews, documents,

observations

What is Qualitative

Research?

• Studies lived experiences

• Focus on essence of experience

• Uses in-depth interviews

Example: Experiences of crime victims

Phenomenology

• In-depth analysis of a case

• Can be a person, program, or institution

• Uses multiple data sources

Case Study

• Develops theory from data

• No theory at the start

• Uses systematic coding

Grounded Theory

• Identifies patterns

or themes

• Based on qualitative

data

• Systematic and

rigorous

What is Thematic Analysis?

Steps in Thematic

Analysis

1. Familiarization

2. Coding

3. Grouping codes

4. Developing themes