collage includes headset, suspect on street, abandoned trainer in road, police officers running

Research

Research invitations are sent out biannually to most UK universities, although many proposals come in following ad hoc requests from interested parties who've heard of us through the wider policing community.

SCAS maintains one of the largest database of its kind in the UK. Owing to the highly sensitive and confidential nature of the data we hold, we have had to set out strict research protocols in order to allow researchers access to our data.

Proposals should be written in accordance with the Research Protocols and e-mailed to the Research Group.

Although we invite proposals focusing on any aspect of our data, areas of particular interest are:

  • Developing a structured decision-making process to codify the similarity between one crime and another; looking to establish decision thresholds for when we believe one case is linked to another, or not.
  • Behavioural consistency of offenders
  • Exploring how our data could be used to assist in supporting the veracity of rape victim statements at court in order to reduce the attrition rate in rape cases.
  • Exploring escalation of severity of offences by serial offenders.

Successful research proposals have come from the fields of forensic linguistics, data mining and crime mapping as well as forensic psychology and criminology.  Prospective researchers may find it useful to review some previously supported research projects.

The 2010 - 2011 research suggestions are now available to view by downloading the research suggestions document.  The next call for research proposals will be in the summer 2010. 

Anyone interested in finding out more about conducting research with SCAS data should contact the Research Group.

Research Assistants

SCAS takes on undergraduate placement students each year as Research Assistants; read a previous student's full placement report for more information.

If you would like to know more about these opportunities please contact the Placement Recruitment Coordinator.

Students who have worked at SCAS as part of their degree (sandwich) course come from several universities, including:

Loughborough
Surrey
Bath
Plymouth

Student Open day

The next open day will be on Wednesday 17 November 2010. 

Further information will be announced and sent to the relevant universities at the beginning of October.  Please direct any enquiries to the placement recruitment coordinater as above.