Both theory and method should be viewed as means to an end, the end being sound criminal justice knowledge. Theory devoid of method - explanation without accurate supportive data - is just as much ritualistic dead end as method devoid of theory. In any field, usually exists a certain division between those who are primarily interested in generating theory and who view their efforts as classical scholarship akin to philosophy and those (methodologists) who are viewed as technical and scientific in their approach. In short, while theory addresses the issue "why", methodology concerns itself with "what is". Methodology, (methods) on the other hand, involves the collection of accurate facts and/or data regarding the nature of crime and criminal justice policy. Theory asks: What is the point of all of this? What does it mean? Why are things this way? The generation of theoretical explanations is what distinguishes a theory from merely a collection of war stories and carefully documented encyclopedic accounts. It represents a reasonable and informed guess as to why things are as they appear and to explain their underlying nature and meaning. Theory attempts to classify and organize events, to explain the causes of events, to predict the direction of future events, and to understand why and how these events occur (Turner, 1997, p.2).
Theory in criminal justice represents an attempt to develop plausible explanations of reality, which in this case is crime and criminal justice system. Review of Criminal Justice Research MethodsĪpproaches to Theory and Method in Criminal Justice
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