2023
IRM1501
Introduction to Research for Law and Criminal
Justice
October/November 2023
PORTFOLIO - EXAMINATION
CHRISTINA SHAAKUMENI
, EXAM QUESTIONS
QUESTION 1
Discuss document-based research with reference to examples. (10 marks)
Document-based research is also known as qualitative research or quantitative
research. They are interchangeable. When qualitative research is mentioned, you
should be aware that the research is document-based, and vice versa. Document-
based research entails reviewing sources that are mostly obtained from or found in a
library. Sources include law reports, legislation, textbooks, and law journals, among
others.1 Essentially, researchers evaluate the available literature in order to find the
required answer or what has been written on a specific subject.
All of this is done in order for researchers to "immerse themselves in the subject
matter" and cultivate modern concepts that significantly improve their understanding
and clarification of reality.
Hancock, Ockleford and Windridge state that document-based research
… attempts to broaden and/or deepen our understanding of how things came
to be the way they are in our social world. If the research question involves
exploring how people experience something, or what their views are,
exploring a new area where issues are not yet understood or properly
identified (e.g. before developing questionnaire items), assessing whether a
new service is implementable, looking at ‘real-life’ context, or a sensitive topic
where you need flexibility to avoid causing distress, your team probably needs
to discuss using qualitative methodology. 2
Researchers conduct this type of research to answer or respond to the
question "why?" All of this, according to Black 3, is done to "study things in
1
Williams C “Research methods” 2007 (5) Journal of Business & Economic Research 65–72
67.
2
Hancock B, Ockleford E and Windridge K “An introduction to qualitative research”
https://www.rdsyh.nihr.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/5_Introduction-to-qualitative-
research-2009.pdf.
3
Black N “Why we need qualitative research” 1994 (48) Journal of Epidemiology and
Community Health 425–426.
IRM1501
Introduction to Research for Law and Criminal
Justice
October/November 2023
PORTFOLIO - EXAMINATION
CHRISTINA SHAAKUMENI
, EXAM QUESTIONS
QUESTION 1
Discuss document-based research with reference to examples. (10 marks)
Document-based research is also known as qualitative research or quantitative
research. They are interchangeable. When qualitative research is mentioned, you
should be aware that the research is document-based, and vice versa. Document-
based research entails reviewing sources that are mostly obtained from or found in a
library. Sources include law reports, legislation, textbooks, and law journals, among
others.1 Essentially, researchers evaluate the available literature in order to find the
required answer or what has been written on a specific subject.
All of this is done in order for researchers to "immerse themselves in the subject
matter" and cultivate modern concepts that significantly improve their understanding
and clarification of reality.
Hancock, Ockleford and Windridge state that document-based research
… attempts to broaden and/or deepen our understanding of how things came
to be the way they are in our social world. If the research question involves
exploring how people experience something, or what their views are,
exploring a new area where issues are not yet understood or properly
identified (e.g. before developing questionnaire items), assessing whether a
new service is implementable, looking at ‘real-life’ context, or a sensitive topic
where you need flexibility to avoid causing distress, your team probably needs
to discuss using qualitative methodology. 2
Researchers conduct this type of research to answer or respond to the
question "why?" All of this, according to Black 3, is done to "study things in
1
Williams C “Research methods” 2007 (5) Journal of Business & Economic Research 65–72
67.
2
Hancock B, Ockleford E and Windridge K “An introduction to qualitative research”
https://www.rdsyh.nihr.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/5_Introduction-to-qualitative-
research-2009.pdf.
3
Black N “Why we need qualitative research” 1994 (48) Journal of Epidemiology and
Community Health 425–426.
