There are two main research methods used in determining the information about an individual, and they include the following;
Qualitative research
Quantitative research
Both of these research methods are basically different, and in this discussion, qualitative research will be the one on focus. By definition, qualitative research is a kind of research method that determines information on why and how things were done in a particular way, and who did it and why. In other words, qualitative research observes the behavior of a person and describes why they have done something such as a criminal offence (Patton, 2005). It is based on the following for collecting information;
Interviews
Focus groups
Reviews
Observation
In criminal justice, qualitative research has some impacts on future research, in that, the data is collected mainly through verbal statements where a researcher observes, collects and gives outcomes, meaning that the criminal history of the offender is not stored and cannot be retrieved in future for a similar or different crime by the same offender. Besides, this research is subject-driven, meaning that offenders are investigated in a humanistic way, and therefore, there is a possibility of letting a criminal go unpunished just because of sympathy, and he or she might pose future risks. Therefore, there is a likelihood that qualitative research could impact the criminal justice arena negatively because of lack of criminal records as well as lack of any evidence to see criminals arrested, and this can increase criminal rates without control (Ritchie et al., 2013).
As stated, qualitative research is based on observation (Ritchie et al., 2013), and therefore, in case the research is flawed, the accusation can only be nullified. This is because it is against the law to arrest a person without evidence, and because there is no record in qualitative research, the information can easily be flawed. This can result in the offenders being released even if they are criminals, ending up harming more people in the society.
References
Patton, M. Q. (2005). Qualitative research. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ritchie, J., Lewis, J., Nicholls, C. M., & Ormston, R. (Eds.). (2013).Qualitative research practice: A guide for social science students and researchers. Sage.
