Research Methods for Criminal Justice and Criminology (with CD-ROM and InfoTrac) (Available Titles CengageNOW)

Based on Earl Babbie's best-selling text, THE PRACTICE OF SOCIAL RESEARCH, this text combines the key strengths of Babbie's text (accessibility; a conversational, "friendly" writing style; and great examples) with Michael G. Maxfield's expertise in criminology and criminal justice for a text that addresses the specific methods used in criminal justice research. The new edition of this market-leader includes changes in its coverage of ethics, causation, validity, and research design, as well as updated coverage and statistics, and expanded examples, especially in the discussion of field research. A running case study on the dropping crime rate in New York City-a study to which co-author Maxfield has close links-further demonstrates the important role of research methods in our evolving understanding of crime and society.

Michael G. Maxfield is Professor of Criminal Justice at John Jay College, City University of New York. He is the author of numerous articles and books on a variety of topics, including victimization, policing, homicide, community corrections, and long-term consequences of child abuse and neglect. Working with students and colleagues at the John Jay College Research and Evaluation Center, Professor Maxfield developed the evidence generation approach to applied justice research. He is editor of the Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency.

Earl R. Babbie graduated from Harvard University before enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, and began teaching shortly thereafter. Credited with defining research methods for the social sciences, Dr. Babbie has written several texts, including the bestselling THE PRACTICE OF SOCIAL RESEARCH.