Critical Methods in Criminology

to provide foundational training in criminology-specific methods embedded in a deep sense of what it means to engage in research with integrity and respect for diverse worldviews and knowledge systems. The subject introduces a range of methods and approaches that comprise important components of a critical criminological toolkit. Students will develop foundational skills in qualitative and textual research methods and, in doing so, will explore questions of epistemology, axiology, reflexivity, positionality and subjectivity. In learning to apply social science methods to complex social problems, students will develop critical skills in reading quantitative data, and understanding the impact of criminological research and methodological choices on human lives and society. Key questions engaged with in this subject include: How is knowledge produced in criminology (by whom, for whom, to what end)? What does it mean to do criminological research critically? What does it mean to engage in criminological research ethically?

• 1Explain the foundations of social science research and the implications for knowledge production in criminology
• 2Discuss the strengths of different knowledge systems, including Indigenous ways of knowing
• 3Identify a range of research methods and approaches to criminological problems, and the strengths and limitations of their application in criminology
• 4Critically assess the quality of data in criminological research
• 5Apply ethical principles in criminological research.