Criminal Justice Textbooks Research Articles

The most-cited scholars and works in critical criminology*

Previous studies that reported the most-cited scholars and works in criminology and criminal justice journals and textbooks neglected the contributions of critical criminologists to crime and justice scholarship. This paper extends citation analysis to the study of critical criminology. Through an examination of 18 books published from 1980 to 1997 and three journals published from 1991 to 1995, we list the 50 most-cited scholars in critical criminology, the 50 most-cited critical criminologists, and the 25 most-cited works. The most-cited scholars and works in critical criminology are compared to similar lists from mainstream criminology. The paper concludes with some thoughts about the importance of citation analysis in critical criminology.

The most‐cited scholars in criminology and criminal justice textbooks, 1989 to 1993

Recent citation analysis studies of criminology and criminal justice journals have shifted from identifying the most‐cited scholars in criminology or criminal justice to combining data sets to report the most‐cited scholars in criminology and criminal justice periodicals. So far, however, a companion group of citation analyses of criminology and criminal justice textbooks have not combined data sets, instead listing the most‐cited scholars in either criminology textbooks or criminal justice textbooks. Here the data sets from two citation analyses of textbooks are combined and reanalyzed to identify the 16 most‐cited scholars in 39 criminology and criminal justice textbooks published from 1989 to 1993. The 16 most‐cited scholars in the textbooks are an elite group which has made important contributions to the study of the etiology of crime and to applied research on the institutions of justice.

Textbook adoption and other landmark decisions: The coverage of court cases in criminal justice textbooks, 1986 to 1995*

We examine the coverage of court cases in 23 introductory criminal justice textbooks published from 1986 to 1995. The 30 cases receiving the most coverage (in inches of print) in the textbooks are identified and ranked by the amount of attention each receives. Collectively these cases can be considered the “landmark” decisions in the textbooks. We then evaluate the criminal justice textbooks by how extensively they cover (1) court cases in general and (2) the landmark cases in particular. We conclude with some recommendations of textbooks for course adoption.

The Most-Cited Scholars and Works in Women and Crime Publications

ABSTRACT Previous studies that have reported the most-cited scholars and works in criminology and criminal justice journals and textbooks have seldom acknowledged the important contributions of women and/or women and crime scholars to criminology and criminal justice. Here we extend citation analysis to the examination of 174 women and crime publications appearing from 1990 to 1996. We list the 50 most-cited scholars and the 29 most-cited works in these publications. We then compare our findings to other studies of the most-cited scholars and works in leading criminology and criminal justice journals and textbooks. The paper concludes with some thoughts about the importance of citation analysis in women and crime studies.

Do introductory criminal justice textbooks cite the most influential criminal justicians? Further estimations of the “match” between what journals report and what textbooks discuss

A recent study developed a procedure to use citation analyses of criminology journals and textbooks to estimate the “match” between what journals report and what textbooks discuss. Here this estimation procedure is extended to criminal justice journals and textbooks. Sixteen criminal justice textbooks published from 1989 to 1993 are ranked by how prominently they cite the 20 most frequently cited scholars in recent leading criminal justice journals. The results of this analysis are compared with findings from the earlier study of the match between criminology journals and textbooks. I suggest reasons why criminal justice textbook authors prominently cite and discuss some influential scholars but not others, and conclude by noting several limitations to the use of citation analyses to estimate the match between journals and textbooks.

A pure refraction of reality: Assessing the coverage of racial and ethnic minorities in introductory criminal justice textbooks: A response to Walker and Brown

Walker and Brown (1995) assessed the coverage of racial and ethnic minorities in introductory criminal justice textbooks. They concluded that the coverage provided in 13 books they reviewed was inadequate. This rejoinder suggests that their conclusion was inaccurate in at least one case and that a flawed research design may account for the inaccuracy. It concludes with a brief discussion of the role of the introductory text.

The most-cited scholars in criminal justice textbooks, 1989–1993

Although numerous citation analysis studies have examined the most-cited scholars in many different types of criminology and criminal justice publications, no study has ever examined who the most-cited scholars are in criminal justice textbooks. This article extends recent citation analysis studies by identifying and ranking the twenty-two most-cited scholars in sixteen introductory criminal justice textbooks published from 1989 to 1993. The list of the most-cited scholars in criminal justice textbooks is then compared to similar lists of the most-cited scholars in criminal justice journals and criminology textbooks. This comparison suggests that there are several avenues to prominence in textbooks and journals for scholars who conduct different types of crime-related research.

A pale reflection of reality: The neglect of racial and ethnic minorities in introductory criminal justice textbooks

A pale reflection of reality: The neglect of racial and ethnic minorities in introductory criminal justice textbooks

Images of Gender:

This study is a content analysis of photographs in 22 introductory criminology and criminal justice textbooks published between 1988 and 1991. The purpose of the study is to explore the extent to which women have been given a visual presence and to determine whether texts provide a socially constructed image of gender commensurate with the various roles women play in criminology and the criminal justice system. Analyses of 1,373 photographs depicting 4,503 individuals revealed that women are rendered invisible and that images of women reflect the androcentric nature of criminology and criminal justice.

Gender balancing the criminal justice curriculum and classroom

This article sets forth some of the major areas involved in transforming the criminal justice curriculum and classroom to make them more inclusive of issues and concerns related to women and minorities. These areas include a comparison of feminist and traditional pedagogy, classroom climate and teachers' behaviors, sexist language, criminal justice textbooks, and course content. A curriculum transformation project in one university is described and analyzed. Appendices include an outline and evaluation of a faculty development project. A list of library and audiovisual resources to help transform the criminal justice curriculum is available.

Optical illusions: The visual representation of blacks and women in introductory criminal justice textbooks

A decade has passed since the findings of the Project on the Status and Education of Women were published. The report suggested that the college climate is “chilly” for women, especially in male dominated fields such as criminal justice. Textbooks are an integral part of the classroom experience. If women and black students fail to see themselves represented or if they see themselves in a negative light, the “chilling” effect may deter entry into the field. A content analysis of 22 introductory texts in print in 1989 revealed that women and blacks were underrepresented in photographs as authorities; women were overrepresented as victims; and blacks were over-represented as offenders.

Publication productivity of faculty members in criminology and criminal justice doctoral programs

This study evaluates the publication productivity of faculty members in 23 programs offering doctorates in criminology, criminal justice, or a closely related discipline. The departments are ranked according to the number of journal publications and the number of pages published by faculty members from various indexes from 1986 through 1990. We create a scale of journal quality and use it to rank programs by their faculties' publication of articles in those journals. Programs also are ranked by the number of times faculty members were cited in introductory criminology and criminal justice textbooks. In the final analysis we compare a cumulation of these rankings to a cumulative ranking from previous studies. Drastic changes have occurred in the ranking of many doctoral programs during the past decade.

White-collar crime in the criminal justice curriculum

Recognition of the significance of white-collar crime has grown substantially in recent years, but this growth has not been reflected adequately in the field of criminal justice or in the criminal justice curriculum. Through a content analysis of criminal justice and criminology textbooks and program course offerings the authors demonstrate the relative neglect of white-collar crime, and especially its marginal position in the criminal justice curriculum. Some hypothetical reasons for this relative neglect are explored. An argument is made on both theoretical and pragmatic grounds for more sustained and more systematic integration of white-collar crime into the criminal justice curriculum.

Criminal justice theory: A case of trained incapacity?

Theories are scientific tools which give meaning to the social and physical reality that scientists study. They also play a crucial role in generating and storing the information of a discipline. The academic field of criminal justice has a wealth of facts but a dearth of theory. As a result, this field is still only partially developed. This article is a call for greater attention to theory so that the analysis of the criminal justice system and its components can be more fruitful. A survey of 25 criminal justice textbooks published since 1975 shows that the analysis of criminal justice retains a facts-without-theory flavor. For criminal justice as an academic field of study to grow, theory must be integrated much more into criminal justice research and education than has been the case. The theoretical frameworks of such social theorists as Durkheim, Marx, and Weber, among others, are suggested as sources to draw upon to develop an integrated comprehensive theory of the criminal justice system.

Criminal justice history as a field of research: A review of the literature, 1960–1975

A review of recent criminal justice textbooks and standard reference sources indicated a lack of historical studies. Scholars in the United States have not investigated the historical roots of criminal justice and as a result the literature and curricula of criminal justice educational programs portray a narrow contemporary perspective. The author critically analyzes selected historical publications of the past decade and provides suggestions for further research.