Introduction
Qualitative data collection is a technique used for quality data research. There are several methods used in this field, which aid in making it easy to access the best information about data that needs to be collected. The technique is time-consuming and thus a small sample field is recommended for data collection (Davies & Francis, 2018). Moreover, the technique is beneficial because the information collected is richer and with more insight into the phenomenon of study. In SAGE Handbook, qualitative data collection involves researching crimes and criminal justice in a unique way. He focuses on the application of the methods that should result in inquisitive substantive criminological research (Palinkas et al, 2015). This paper is incarnating as it argues how different methods of qualitative data collection is useful for criminological research.
SAGE looks into more elaborate methods through which the field of science intellectually research about problems that criminologist are investigating or confronted. He has scrutinized the techniques in details in every topic (Davies & Francis, 2018). SAGE aims to look at the most logic criminological confrontations organized into five sections. He examines crime justice in organization and institutions, perceptual dimensions of crimes, crimes, and criminal, contextualizing crime on communities and culture within space and time and finally preventing crime in the aid to improve justice in the field of criminological research (Copes & Miller, 2015).
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There are three methods of qualitative data collection that are exploratory. They are involved with extracting insight and understanding thereby attaining the expected results. The methods are enhanced with expressing the human feeling and emotions which contrary to most of the other techniques (Palinkas et al, 2015). The most popular methods used in the qualitative technique are the interview method and the focus group method. There are other methods such as observation and action research, which are also very efficient in obtaining information.
SAGE reviewed the research methods as the tools created with which the researcher extract information for their projects. He has put in place methods that researchers can employ in the aid to get more rooted to the required content. SAGE has characterized his work of research methods with the ability to extract information to the highest level of efficiency. His knowledge is meant for research students hosting more than 4400 titles (Copes & Miller, 2015). He covered law students whose researches revolve around criminology, law, and sociology making it easy for them to reach the content they seek.
Nevertheless, there is a big difference between the data collection methods in that, the approach to obtaining information differs in one way to the other. The interview method involves approaching the sample or the suspect and conducting a thorough investigation. It involves asking questions and recording the information for comparison later after collecting the data from different samples or suspect in the same sample space. On the other hand, the focus groups involve collecting data from a group of participants and treat the information collected as the primary data. It involves a group discussion on the topic (Taylor, Bogdan & DeVault, 2015).
Other methods such as observation involve going to the participant and silently observe what they do and what they obtain. Most are the time the researcher does not want to be identified by the participant. The other method is the action research that requires the researcher to be the participant to be familiar with the content and information to which he/she seeks (Taylor, Bogdan & DeVault, 2015). In the action research method, the researcher needs to get involved in the sample space to experience or to observe and obtain the information.
The interview method could be employed to the prison inmates. It could be easy to obtain information from the inmates by interviewing them one by one. The interview will lead to getting specific information from everyone and later compare the information and make a conclusion from that data. On the other hand, it will be easy to use the focus groups methods on high school students. The method will involve the students to form discussion and discuss the issues that need to be addressed. The focus groups method is efficient with a onetime extraction of information because the debate is usually about a particular topic structured for research purpose.
The interview method could also be used by the college professor in obtaining information from the student about a topic. The professor could also use that observation method where he/she could go to the students and observe their finding. Mostly, observation is the most efficient way between the student and the professor. It creates an atmosphere where they both engage in scrutinizing the topic of study by discussing the observation. Moreover, it is diverse in a way that, different student’s ideas will be spread to others resulting in the exchange of ideas (Glaser & Strauss, 2017). In the same way, the interview method could be the most efficient technique in obtaining information from a gang member.
Conclusion
Qualitative data collection technique is the most efficient in information extraction. The methods used in qualitative data collection are simple to monitor and run in all areas because they result in high information profile with insight and that can be relied on. The methods can be used by the criminologist to investigate crimes and result in justice in societies (Copes & Miller, 2015). It is easy to follow up a crime by the qualitative methods of data collection because they result to substantive results about a case study in which they uncover all the information that could be hidden under the crime.
References
Copes, H., & Miller, J. M. (Eds.). (2015). The Routledge handbook of qualitative criminology . Routledge.
Davies, P., & Francis, P. (2018). Doing criminological research . SAGE Publications Limited.
Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (2017). Discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research . Routledge.
Palinkas, L. A., Horwitz, S. M., Green, C. A., Wisdom, J. P., Duan, N., & Hoagwood, K. (2015). Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method implementation research. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research , 42 (5), 533-544.
Taylor, S. J., Bogdan, R., & DeVault, M. (2015). Introduction to qualitative research methods: A guidebook and resource . John Wiley & Sons.
