Admission requirements
Only students admitted to the master’s programme in Comparative Criminal Justice are eligible to take this course.
Description
This course offers an overview of key legal and criminological research methods used to study the criminal justice system from a comparative and interdisciplinary perspective. The course starts with a series of practical workshops designed to develop fundamental research skills, including analyzing case law, interpreting legislation, working with statistics, conducting interviews, and engaging in field observation.
Following the workshops, a series of lectures and seminars will address the opportunities and challenges of comparative legal and criminological research. The course also explores the epistemological foundations of multi-method research and examines the role of ethics in scientific inquiry. It aims to provide students with insight into the purpose and appropriate application of major research methods, as well as the ability to report findings effectively. A key objective is to encourage the exchange of knowledge and perspectives among students from diverse academic backgrounds.
Course objectives
Upon completing this course, students are able to:
Identify common criminological and legal research methods appropriate for examining a criminal justice issue from a comparative and multidisciplinary perspective;
Reflect on conceptual differences in how data and legal processes are understood;
Describe and evaluate the role of ethics in criminological research;
Locate and critically assess cross-national comparative data;
Interpret data to draw appropriate conclusions;
Effectively present comparative research results through a poster presentation.
Employability and (academic) career
Students will develop methodological skills for comparing data across jurisdictions and presenting their findings clearly.
The following skills, central to this course, are directly transferable to the labor market:
Writing skills
Academic/research skills
Critical thinking
Exchanging knowledge from different backgrounds
Timetable
Check MyTimetable.
Mode of instruction
The course begins with two weeks of method workshops. These are followed by weekly lectures and seminars focusing on various criminological and legal research methods. Students are expected to prepare by studying the assigned literature. Seminar sessions are closely tied to the portfolio assignments. Active participation and thorough preparation are expected for those attending
Lectures
Number of (2 hour) lectures: 8
Names of lecturers: All
Required preparation by students: see Brightspace
Seminars
Number of (2 hour) seminars: 8
Names of lecturers: All
Required preparation by students: see Brightspace
Method workshops
Number of (2 hour) method workshops: 4
Names of lecturers: All
Required preparation by students: see Brightspace
Other methods of instruction
Weekly office hours are available for students to speak with the course coordinator. Attendance is optional. Students must notify the secretariat (criminologie@law.leidenuniv.nl) at least 24 hours in advance and include a brief explanation of their question or topic of discussion.
Assessment method
Individual portfolio (60%), consisting of three written assignments based on the course lectures and seminars;
Comparative poster presentation (40%), including an individually graded component (as required by the faculty);
All components must receive at least a 5.5 to pass the course. If not, the final grade cannot exceed a 5;
A resit opportunity is available for both the portfolio and the comparative poster;
Partial grades remain valid through the following academic year. An exception applies if course objectives, content, structure, or assessment methods change. This will be stated in the updated course description for the relevant academic year.
Reading list
The required literature is listed in the Brightspace course environment.
Registration
Registration for courses and exams takes place via MyStudymap. If you do not have access to MyStudymap (guest students), look here (under the Law-tab) for more information on the registration procedure in your situation.
Contact
Course coordinator: dr. B.C.M. van Hazebroek
E-mail: criminologie@law.leidenuniv.nl
Institute/department
Institute for Criminal Law and Criminology
Department: Criminology
Opening hours: 9.00 to 16.00
Telephone secretariat: 071 – 527 7871 / 527 7872 / 527 7462
E-mail: criminologie@law.leidenuniv.nl