Themes
Advancing knowledge on crime and social injustice through methodological innovation and societal impact.
Our specialist research themes reflect the Department of Criminology’s commitment to advancing cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research, shaping policy, and supporting researcher development.
Research in the Department of Criminology is organised around seven areas of expertise, each leading original and world-leading research, attracting PhD students from around the globe, and informing research-driven teaching in their respective fields.
Each group includes academics, PhD researchers, contract and postdoctoral research fellows, visiting researchers, and honorary appointments. Members of these groups collaborate with key partners, policymakers, and stakeholders nationally and internationally, ensuring that research informs evidence-based policy and practice. They can also be approached by the media for expert commentary on issues of crime, justice, and social policy.
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Fraud, white collar and organised crime
Analysing the nature, organisation and governance of serious crimes for gain.
Advanced analytics in criminology
Promotes methodological innovation through advanced quantitative techniques.
Exploitation, violence and abuse
Studying populations with experiences of trauma and marginalisation.
Prisons and punishment
Developing knowledge of penal policies and of desistance and reintegration of offenders.
Drug markets, consumption and policy
Exploring the social and policy dimensions of drug consumption and lived/living experience.
Policing and the police
Investigating the role, practice and legitimacy of policing in contemporary societies.
The Department of Criminology is also home to CrimRxiv, the global open-access hub for criminology, providing unrestricted access to criminological literature at no cost to readers, authors, or institutions.