Standardizing research methods on violent offenders: Perpetrator-motive research design and consensual qualitative research

Abstract

To date, there has been a modicum of research attention to offender populations, particularly where interviews of offenders have been conducted. Further, the literature in this area has been hampered by several limitations that make cross-study comparisons and replication difficult. The goals of this manuscript are to: (1) review offender-based interview research, focusing on data collection methods and data analytic strategies, (2) highlight limitations that exist, and (3) discuss the use of standardized and replicable procedures. From the examination conducted, the authors suggest that published articles representing this body of research frequently provide inadequate detail of the methodological and analytic procedures utilized. To move the science of offender-based research forward, the authors provide an example of standardized data collection procedures (perpetrator-motive research design; PMRD), and describe one example of an established qualitative research method for data analysis, consensual qualitative research (CQR). Using standardized methods and procedures will advance knowledge about offenders and ultimately lead to enhanced applications for practitioners. Moreover, the implementation of such practices will increase the ability to replicate methods and analyses, increasing the value and utility of the research, and enabling cross-study comparisons to be made.