A Police Officer’s Guide to Academic Research

Foreword
Contents
Notes on Contributors
1 Introduction
	Structure of the Book
	A Climate of Change
	The Three R’s—Reading, ’Riting and Research
	Research Methodologies—Research Who?
	The Ethics of Doing Research on a Sensitive Issue or with Vulnerable Populations
	Looking in the Mirror
	Putting It All Together
	References
2 A Climate of Change
	What Does It Mean to Be a Professional?
	Politics and the Re-evaluation of Police Officers as Professionals
	The Value of Higher Education in the Professionalisation Process
	Conclusion
	References
3 The Three R’s—Reading, ’Riting, and Research
	Introduction
		The Link
		The Belief
	Research
		Concepts and Questions
		Context
	Reading
		Start Reading
		Reading Methods
		Truth
		Stop Reading
	Writing
		Critical Writing
		Presentation
		Practicality
	Referencing
		Format
	Conclusion
	References
4 Research Methodologies: Research Who?
	What Is Research?
	Research Methodology, Research Methods and Why You Need Them
	Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Research Methods
		Interviews
		Focus Groups
		Observation
	Conclusion
	References
5 Ethics and Considering the Risks of Desensitisation
	What Are Sensitive Issues and Who Are Vulnerable Populations?
	What is Ethics and Why Does It Matter?
	What is the Research Question and Why Are You Asking It?
	Developing Ethical Research Design
	Conducting Ethical Research
	Data Analysis
	Dissemination and Publication
	The Role of the Researcher: Sensitised and Desensitised
	Conclusion
	References
6 Looking in the Mirror
	Introduction
	The Reflective Practitioner
	Police Neutrality
	The Reflexive “Double Whammy” in Policing Research
	Practicing Reflexively
		The Research Question
		Morals and Ethics
		The Methodology
		Conducting the Research; Methods and Literature Reviews
		Data Analysis and Conclusions
	Conclusion
	References
7 Conclusion—Putting It All Together
Index