Crime and Criminal Justice: Applied Research from Routine Monitoring to Evidence-Based Practices

Abstract

Applied research has been at, and remains at, the heart of the fields of criminology and criminal justice since the days of the ‘moral statisticians.’ This article examines some of the history of applied research in these fields, and the roles of government, university-based, and nonuniversity-based researchers. The impact of different sources of funding and the challenges that funding produce to the integrity of applied research are canvassed. Particular attention is paid to applied research in the areas of prevention, intervention, and evaluation studies. The development of evidence-based practices, implementation research, and translational research is also covered as part of the evolution of applied research in criminal justice and criminology. Exemplars in the areas of corrections and policing are offered to highlight the continuing development of this important aspect of the application of social science research to applied problems.