I
The first part of this text consists of two chapters, both designed to acquaint students with basic information pertaining to research in criminal justice and criminology and how they relate to the social/behavioral sciences in general. Chapter 1 has two overarching components. First, the broad scope of the social/ behavioral sciences is presented so that students of criminal justice can begin to fully appreciate how the study of criminal behavior and the criminal justice system fits within the broader study of human behavior. The second section of chapter 1 acquaints students with the nature of the scientific method that provides the bedrock on which all social/behavioral scientific knowledge rests.
In chapter 2, information is presented that helps students tap into the vast store of research findings that have already accumulated over roughly the past 150 years of social/behavioral science history. Knowing where to locate research findings on specific topics puts students in a position to begin contemplating how they might conduct their own research.