Need for triangulated methodologies in criminal justice and criminological research: exploring legal techniques as an additional method

Abstract

Criminal justicians and criminologists use a variety of research techniques when undertaking their investigations. However, most tend to overwhelmingly rely on either one of two types of data collection methods to address their research questions and hypotheses. Rarely, do these researchers use triangulated methodologies to increase the rigors of their scholarship by making their investigations robust. A content analysis of two of the fields’ most prestigious journals reveals a lack of triangulated methods being used. This is of primary concern since these journals are heralded as the finest the fields have to offer and are also considered the most widely cited. We believe that because criminal justice and criminology are grounded in law, legal research methods can be used as an additional technique to achieve triangulated methods.

Keywords:

• triangulated methods
• methodologies
• legal research techniques
• research designs
• content analysis