Elucidating Empirical Research Methods in Criminology and Criminal Justice in Nigeria

Abstract

The crime situation in Nigeria and indeed other parts of the world continue to be monstrous despite the efforts of the criminal justice system. The foundation of overcoming this challenge may be found in the adherence to well articulated empirical research/studies aimed at understanding and providing solutions to the ramifications of crime problems in Nigeria. Therefore, there is the urgent need to examine and highlight the methods of research in criminology and criminal justice. This is a theoretical paper which relied on secondary sources, observations and desk reviews to collect data. The data collected were analyzed using relevant thematic schemes. Relevant themes like types of research, research ethics data collection, qualitative and qualitative research and actual research process were examined. It was recommended that adherence to empirical research rather than media reports is the pathway to solving the crime problem in Nigeria.