СОВРЕМЕННЫЕ АСПЕКТЫ МЕТОДОЛОГИИ ПРОВЕДЕНИЯ ПРИКЛАДНОГО КРИМИНОЛОГИЧЕСКОГО ИССЛЕДОВАНИЯ

Abstract

Criminology is a theoretical legal science aimed at solving the problems of combating crime. It studies crime and its varieties, personal characteristics of criminals and causes of their criminal behavior in order to find the best ways, means, and specific measures to prevent crime, both in general and in each individual case. This article considers the most important methodological issues of criminological research. The concept of criminological research and the methods by which it is carried out are discussed. The methodological shortcomings (such as too short time span given for analyzing crime rates or certain types of crime) and the common mistakes made by young researchers during criminological research are identified. The need to apply new approaches and to more widely use the existing modern methods from other fields of science is noted. Special attention is given to the added value of criminological research in investigating and preventing digital crime. It is concluded that law-enforcement officials should develop a criminological thinking to make full use of criminological research in their efforts to curb criminality.