You are here

Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency

Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency


eISSN: 1552731X | ISSN: 00224278 | Current volume: 61 | Current issue: 3 Frequency: Bi-monthly

The Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency (JRCD), peer-reviewed and published bi-monthly, offers empirical articles and special issues to keep you up to date on contemporary issues and controversies in the study of crime and criminal-legal system responses. For more than sixty years, the journal has published work engaging a range of theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches to advance understanding of crime and violence, victimization, and criminalization processes and their implications for individuals, the criminal-legal system, and communities. 

For over 60 years, this international forum has advanced research in criminology and criminal justice. Through articles and special issues, the Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency continues to keep you up to date on issues and controversies framing contemporary understandings of crime and criminal-legal system responses. 

Research and Analysis
The Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency presents a wide range of research and analysis in the field of criminology. You’ll find research on the social, political, and economic contexts of crime and criminal legal system responses. The journal publishes work that engages a range of theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches to advance understanding of crime and violence, victimization, and criminalization processes and their implications for individuals, the criminal-legal system, and communities.


Comprehensive Coverage 
To advance the field of criminology the journal provides a forum that is informed by the range of academic disciplines and fields of practice that contribute to the science of criminology. Among the perspectives you’ll find represented in the journal are: 

  • criminology 
  • criminal justice/administration 
  • courts 
  • corrections 
  • crime prevention 
  • crime science 
  • gender studies
  • economics 
  • geography 
  • police and policing
  • political science 
  • psychology 
  • race and ethnic studies
  • sociology
Editors-in-Chief
Lisa Broidy University of New Mexico, USA
Lorine Hughes University of Colorado Denver, USA
Associate Editors
Laura Dugan Ohio State University, USA
Carter Hay Florida State University, USA
Christopher Lyons University of New Mexico, USA
Jean M. McGloin University of Maryland, USA
Christopher Sullivan University of Missouri - St. Louis, USA
Editorial Board
Olena Antonaccio University of Miami, USA
Megan Augustyn Florida State University, USA
Timothy Barnum Max-Planck Insititute, Germany
Bianca Bersani University of Maryland, USA
Ekaterina Botchkovar Northeastern University, USA
Anthony A. Braga University of Pennsylvania, USA
Robert Brame University of Maryland, USA
Daniel Butler Iowa State University, USA
Kristina Childs Fisher University of Central Florida, USA
Jennifer Cobbina-Dungy Michigan State University, USA
Stacy DeCoster North Carolina State University, USA
Megan Denver Northeastern University, USA
Rebecca Dunlea University of Massachusetts Lowell, USA
Emma Fridel Florida State University, USA
Amanda Geller University of California Irvine, USA
Elizabeth Groff National Institute of Justice, USA
Cory Haberman University of Cincinnati, USA
Andrew Hochstetler Iowa State University, USA
Sanja Kutnjak Ivkovich Michigan State University, USA
Shane D. Johnson University College, London, UK
Peter Lehmann Sam Houston State University, USA
Andrea Leverentz North Carolina State University, USA
Cynthia Lum George Mason University, USA
Ojmarrh Mitchell University of California Irvine, USA
Fawn Ngo University of South Florida, USA
Justin Nix University of Nebraska, Omaha, USA
Ráchael Powers University of South Florida, USA
David C. Pyrooz University of Colorado Boulder, USA
Daniel Ragan University of New Mexico, USA
Michael D. Reisig Arizona State University, USA
Lee Ann Slocum University of Missouri - St. Louis, USA
Sarah Tahamont University of Maryland, USA
Kyle Thomas University of Colorado Boulder, USA
Jillian Turanovic University of Colorado, USA
Rebecca Wickes Griffith University, Australia
Pamela Wilcox Pennsylvania State University, USA
Dale Willits Washington State University, USA
John Wooldredge University of Cincinnati, USA
Emily Wright Urban Institute, USA
Min Xie University of Maryland, USA
Managing Editor
Libby Vigil University of New Mexico, USA
  • Applied Social Sciences Index & Abstracts (ASSIA)
  • Biological Sciences Abstracts
  • Clarivate Analytics: Current Contents - Physical, Chemical & Earth Sciences
  • Corporate ResourceNET - Ebsco
  • Criminal Justice Abstracts
  • Current Citations Express
  • EBSCO: Family Studies Abstracts
  • EBSCO: Violence & Abuse Abstracts
  • EBSCO: Vocational & Career Collection
  • EMBASE/Excerpta Medica
  • Family & Society Studies Worldwide (NISC)
  • Family Violence & Sexual Assault Bulletin
  • Gale: Diversity Studies Collection
  • Health & Safety Sciences Abstracts
  • ISI Basic Social Sciences Index
  • MasterFILE - Ebsco
  • NCJRS Abstracts Database
  • NISC
  • OmniFile: Full Text Mega Edition (H.W. Wilson)
  • Prevention Evaluation Research Registry for Youth (PERRY)
  • ProQuest: Applied Social Science Index & Abstracts (ASSIA)
  • ProQuest: CSA Sociological Abstracts
  • ProQuest: International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS)
  • Professional Development Collection - Ebsco
  • PsycINFO
  • PsycLIT
  • Psychological Abstracts
  • Public Administration Abstracts
  • Risk Abstracts
  • Safety Science & Risk Abstracts
  • SafetyLit
  • Scopus
  • Social SciSearch
  • Social Science Source
  • Social Sciences Citation Index (Web of Science)
  • Social Sciences Index Full Text
  • Social Services Abstracts
  • Social Work Abstracts
  • Standard Periodical Directory (SPD)
  • TOPICsearch - Ebsco
  • Urban Affairs Abstracts
  • Urban Studies Abstracts
  • Wilson Social Sciences Index Retrospective
  • Editorial Policy

    The Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency presents a wide range of research and analysis in the field of criminology. You’ll find research on the social, political, and economic contexts of crime and criminal legal system responses. The journal publishes work that engages a range of theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches to advance understanding of crime and violence, victimization, and criminalization processes and their implications for individuals, the criminal-legal system, and communities.

    Manuscript Submission

    Manuscripts should be submitted electronically to http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/jrcd. Authors will be required to set up an online account on the Sage Track system powered by ScholarOne.

    General Format

    All manuscripts should follow formatting guidelines recommended by the American Sociological Association 7th edition and made anonymous/blinded for peer review.

    Manuscripts should not exceed 35 pages (inclusive of references, tables, and figures). Manuscripts must be double-spaced.

    Notes, references, tables, and figures should appear on separate pages at the end of the manuscript. Tables and figures should be numbered consecutively throughout the article. You can insert a note at the appropriate place in the text where you would like the table/figure to appear e.g. “Table 1 about here” or "Figure 1 about here". References should follow the style recommended by the American Sociological Association 7th edition.

    Title page

    Authors should include their name, affiliation, mailing address, and e-mail address on a page separate from the main manuscript.

    Funding information and acknowledgements can be included on this page as well. This information should be excluded from the main manuscript for blind peer review.

    Abstract

    Each manuscript should include a structured abstract of 200 words or less. We will not consider a manuscript unless it is accompanied by an abstract organized into the following four fields: objectives, methods, results, and conclusions.

    Objectives. Briefly state the purpose, objectives or principal research questions. For example: "Test Moffitt's theory of delinquency abstention by examining links between friendship networks and adolescent delinquency involvement" or "Test the impacts of intensive police patrol at high crime spots on the legitimacy evaluations of residents." Avoid contextual statements, such as: "Prior research has identified a small group of adolescents who completely refrain from delinquent behavior."

    Methods. Summarize the basic design of the study as applicable: design, participants (sample), key measures and variables, type of analysis.

    Results. Succinctly report the principal findings. Information on effect size, where applicable, is preferred to simple statements of statistical significance. Ethnographic research should report main findings based on interviews or observations.

    Conclusions. Summarize what has been learned from the research. Do not repeat results or findings. Limit conclusions to what is supported by data. Briefly note study limitations. As applicable, summarize implications for further research, theory, and practice.

    Other guidelines

    Submission of a manuscript implies commitment to publish in the journal. Authors submitting manuscripts to the journal should not simultaneously submit them to another journal, nor should manuscripts have been published elsewhere in substantially similar form or with substantially similar content. Authors in doubt about what constitutes prior publication should consult the JRCD editors.

    JRCD is a member of COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics). If you have any questions or concerns related to research integrity and publication ethics, we encourage you to visit the COPE website and consult with the JRCD editors.

    Authors who want to refine the use of English in their manuscripts might consider utilizing the services of SPi, a non-affiliated company that offers Professional Editing Services to authors of journal articles in the areas of science, technology, medicine or the social sciences. SPi specializes in editing and correcting English-language manuscripts written by authors with a primary language other than English. Visit http://www.prof-editing.com for more information about SPi’s Professional Editing Services, pricing, and turn-around times, or to obtain a free quote or submit a manuscript for language polishing.

    Please be aware that Sage has no affiliation with SPi and makes no endorsement of the company. An author’s use of SPi’s services in no way guarantees that his or her submission will ultimately be accepted. Any arrangement an author enters into will be exclusively between the author and SPi, and any costs incurred are the sole responsibility of the author.

    Sage Choice and Open Access

    If you or your funder wish your article to be freely available online to nonsubscribers immediately upon publication (gold open access), you can opt for it to be included in Sage Choice, subject to the payment of a publication fee. The manuscript submission and peer review procedure is unchanged. On acceptance of your article, you will be asked to let Sage know directly if you are choosing Sage Choice. To check journal eligibility and the publication fee, please visit Sage Choice. For more information on open access options and compliance at Sage, including self/author archiving deposits (green open access) visit Sage Publishing Policies on our Journal Author Gateway.

    Individual Subscription, Print Only


    Institutional Subscription, E-access


    Institutional Subscription & Backfile Lease, E-access Plus Backfile (All Online Content)


    Institutional Subscription, Print Only


    Institutional Subscription, Combined (Print & E-access)


    Institutional Subscription & Backfile Lease, Combined Plus Backfile (Current Volume Print & All Online Content)


    Institutional Backfile Purchase, E-access (Content through 1998)


    Individual, Single Print Issue


    Institutional, Single Print Issue