Scottish Government

Crime and Criminal Justice Research Agenda

INFORMATION FOR RESEARCHERS

The Criminal Justice Research Branch is already working to the Research Agenda set out in this document. It does this by directly providing research based advice to policy makers. Advice can, however, take the form of supporting the work of special groups and committees, for example: Criminal Justice Forum Sub-Groups on fine enforcement, short term sentences, and alternatives to custody; the Nicholson Committee on Liquor Licensing; the McInnes Committee on Summary Criminal Justice; the Crown Agent's Review of aims and objectives in the Scottish criminal justice system; and the Victims Steering Group.

The Criminal Justice Research Branch also provides advice based on reviews of existing research and liaises with colleagues in other parts of the Scottish Executive, other Government Departments (in particular the Home Office) and other relevant agencies to ensure that it has the most up to date research information to inform policy development and the improvement of practice. Small scale pieces of research may be commissioned to provide focused information on particular aspects of a topic. In other cases, a strategic approach to research on specific issues is developed, for example the research proposals set out in 'Serious Violent and Sexual Offenders' (Criminal Justice White Paper, June 2001). Such research strategies provide a framework for identifying gaps in information and areas where more research is required.

The Criminal Justice Research Branch also commissions the Scottish Crime Survey, the most recent being in 2000. This survey underpins a great deal of the work of the Branch as it provides crucial information on crime trends and victimisation rates which informs the development of policy and practice. Increasingly, the Survey is being used to measure the achievement of critical social policy targets, for example, in relation to the fear of crime amongst older people.

Commissioning Research

The balance of the Criminal Justice Research Branch's work is progressively shifting to provide an even greater emphasis on a proactive and responsive role in informing the development of policy and practice. The aim is to provide a flexible and timely service. It is likely that much of the research arising from the Research Agenda will continue to be commissioned by selective competitive tender but the Criminal Justice Research Branch is exploring other approaches to streamline the commissioning and the conduct of research. These include the possible establishment of a Scottish Criminal Justice Research Centre which would provide a centre of excellence in terms of the conduct and dissemination of social policy research across the field of crime and criminal justice in Scotland. The Centre would conduct criminal justice research on behalf of the Scottish Executive as well as other funding bodies and would develop expertise in respect of a cross-cutting approach to criminal justice policy through the development of inter- and multi-disciplinary working within the Centre or through a collaborative network within and beyond the host establishment.

The Research Agenda highlights areas and issues where research is likely to be required but is not intended to be entirely specific or prescriptive. As particular individual requirements are clarified, expressions of interest may be invited, possibly by e-mail contact. Some areas and issues may not, in the event, require research; others may subsequently arise. There may also be circumstances where the expertise of researchers in the field would be drawn upon in developing particular requirements. The Research Branch wishes to strengthen its partnership with the wider research community by developing networks and the potential for collaboration.

For those pieces of research which will be commissioned by selective competitive tender, a short list of potential contractors will be drawn up and they will be invited to submit a tender in response to a specification. Researchers who are interested in carrying out criminal justice research under the current Research Agenda should, therefore, provide general details of their interests, skills and knowledge to the Criminal Justice Research Branch using the attached Expression of Interest Form.

Regardless of the mechanism used to commission research, the focus is always on getting best value for money. As a matter of principle and policy, whenever research is commissioned, consideration is given, where appropriate, to ensuring that it takes into account equality and diversity issues including those related to gender, age, race, disability and geographic location. Tenders and proposals are always scrutinised carefully to ensure that the outputs meet the required objectives and the methods chosen are the most cost effective, given the circumstances of time, resources and the subject matter.

The Research Agenda does not preclude researchers from submitting their own ideas for research based on the identified priorities. Given the resource implications of putting together a detailed and costed proposal and bearing in mind intellectual copyright, researchers are advised to discuss any ideas they might have for research with someone from the Criminal Justice Research Branch before working them up in more detail. Contact points are outlined at the end of this document.

Dissemination

A crucial part of the work of the Criminal Justice Research Branch is the dissemination of research findings. Much of this goes on 'behind the scenes' in making sure that policy makers are fully aware of the implications of research and how it can inform the development of policy and, ultimately, improve the quality and delivery of services. Researchers are encouraged to present the findings of their commissioned research to colleagues in the Scottish Executive and to relevant external agencies and discuss their implications. A series of research briefings is also organised for Ministers on criminal justice topics where experts outline the messages for policy from research in their fields.

The research the Criminal Justice Research Branch commissions is publicly funded and, in the interests of openness, it is ensured that results are presented in a clear and accessible style and are made available to organisations and individuals outwith the Scottish Executive for whom they may have important policy and practice lessons and more generally to inform debate on criminal justice issues. Most commissioned research is published in the Social Research Crime and Criminal Justice series of reports and as Research Findings (which provide brief summaries of research and outline key points). These publications are available in electronic format on the Scottish Executive Social Research website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/srg/. Final decisions on publication remain with Ministers but there is a presumption that research commissioned by the Criminal Justice Research Branch will be published with due regard to ethical issues including confidentiality and data protection.

Although the copyright on these publications rests with the Crown, once studies are completed the Executive is keen to support the wider dissemination of its research and the development of debate on the findings or methodology in order to reinforce the evidence base on criminal justice and related issues. Dissemination would also be an important part of the remit of the proposed Scottish Criminal Justice Research Centre.