Expressing uncertainty in criminology
Applying insights from scientific communication to evidence-based policing
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12900310 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Chris Giacomantonio (0000-0003-3634-9119, Dalhousie University, corresponding author), Yael Litmanovitz (Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute), Craig Bennell (0000-0002-7676-5232, Carleton University), Daniel J Jones (0000-0002-4523-2839, University of Huddersfield) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 24 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 470-488 |
| Publication date | 2022-06-28 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Criminology & Criminal Justice (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1748-8958 • E-ISSN: 1748-8966 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/17488958221107325 |
| OpenAlex | W4283660671 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 51 |
Scholars and practitioners who develop evidence-based crime policy debate on how best to translate criminological knowledge into better criminal justice practices. These debates highlight the counterpoised problems of over-selling the contribution of scientific evidence; or, alternately, overemphasizing the limitations of science. This challenge attends any attempt to translate research findings into practice; however, and problematically, in criminology this challenge is rarely approached in a theoretically coherent fashion. This article therefore seeks to theorize uncertainty in criminology by examining insights on communicating scientific uncertainty in other fields, and applying these insights specifically to the field of Evidence-Based Policing (EBP). Taking the position that all science is inherently uncertain, we examine the following four aspects of the field: the particular uncertainties of criminology, variance in receptivity to research, the lack of evidence regarding effective communication, and the boundaries of evidence. Building on this analysis, we set out the normative challenge of how researchers should characterize and balance the implications and limits of scientific findings in the decision-making process. Looking ahead, we argue for the need to invest in an empirical project for determining meaningful strategies to express research evidence to decision-makers
Criminal justice · Criminology · Empirical evidence · Empirical research · Engineering ethics · Epistemology · Field (mathematics · Normative · Political science · Process (computing · Scientific evidence · Set (abstract data type · Social science · Sociology · Sociology of scientific knowledge · Computer Science · Crime Patterns and Interventions · Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis · Law · Regulation and Compliance Studies
The Discovery of Grounded Theory
Research Findings Practitioners Resist
Using evidence
Evidence-Based Policing
Proactive Policing
Communicating uncertainty about facts, numbers and science
Learning the Skills of Policing
Communicating science in politicized environments
Communicating What We Know and What Isn’t So
Resistance to evidence-based policing
Police–academic partnerships
Action research in Buffalo and Seattle
When science becomes too easy
Advancing Criminology and Criminal Justice Policy
The Character of Harms
Changing Conceptions of the Police Role
Procedural Justice and Legal Compliance
Institutionalizing problem‐oriented policing
Focused Deterrence Strategies and Crime Control
What Works in Crime Prevention and Rehabilitation
Public criminologies
Procedural justice and legal compliance
Reading Lasswell's Model of Communication Backward
Emmie and engineering
Implementation fidelity in a loosely coupled system
Improving policing by integrating craft and science
Why the Crime Drop
Can experience be evidence? Craft knowledge and evidence-based policing
Availability
Realist randomised controlled trials
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |