Taking Criminologists in Society (CRI2013) in second year was the best academic decision I could have made for myself. It’s not an easy module, it is actually the complete opposite, and it is definitely not one you can leave until the last minute. Out of all my modules, CRI2013 demanded the most reading, preparation, organisation, and time. But I would still recommend it to anyone who isn’t afraid of hard work and wants to push themselves outside their comfort zone. Through this module, I secured a volunteering role with a domestic abuse charity supporting female survivors which has opened up doors for me in regard to future employment. I discovered that transcribing interviews and thematic analysis is far more challenging and time-consuming than textbooks make out and proved to myself that I can confidently present on a topic I’m genuinely passionate about even when I am quizzed about it.

Preparing for the dissertation:

Choosing a research-heavy module was a gamble, especially because my lowest grade previously came from research methods in year 1 but I knew that if I wanted to feel confident going into my dissertation in third year, I needed to face that challenge head-on and CRI2013 was the best way to do that. Thankfully I was right and it turned out to be the perfect preparation and has left me so much more confident in my ability to actually conduct real life research.

In many ways, CRI2013 is a mini‑dissertation because you design a project, complete an ethical form (which needs to be a lot more thorough than you would expect), conduct real fieldwork, analyse your findings, and write up a full research report. Whilst a 3000 research report sounds intimidating, I actually found it restrictive because I had so much to discuss by the time I started writing. This is because I had free reign to choose a topic to research that I was genuinely interested in, just like with the dissertation which allowed me to enjoy the materials I was engaging with as well as my time out in the field.

This experience has also significantly shaped my dissertation direction. After examining support offered to survivors after abuse, I am now interested in exploring the support and advice available before abuse occurs. Due to this, the literature I engaged with during my placement has been invaluable, giving me a strong literature bank to build upon for my literature review as well as to utilise for the methodology section and ethical statement.

Having the opportunity to complete an ethics form 1-on-1 with a lecturer is great as you won’t receive the same level of support at level 6. I now know what is expected by the committee to be granted ethical approval.

Finally, it’s also worth noting that completing a Level 5 research placement is a unique opportunity. Your module lead will help you every step of the way so whilst it is an independent piece of research don’t let that put you off because you will be given as much help and advice as you need and I would say make the most of it! It is also a great opportunity to network with organisations and agencies as a small research placement may secure you further employment or volunteering opportunities with them like mine did or at the very least open doors to other agencies they work with.

The reality of finding a placement:

My biggest piece of advice? Don’t take it personally when organisations can’t offer you a placement. I went into the module knowing I wanted to focus on victims of crime, so I emailed local organisations expecting plenty of options. The reality was very different. I faced rejections, delays, and complete silence. Eventually, one organisation which happened to be an hour’s drive away finally agreed to meet with me five weeks after the module started. So don’t get too attached to the idea of a specific organisation or location, you have to be open‑minded. Look at every organisation you could realistically travel to and reach out as early as possible. Time moves quickly, and placements take longer to secure than you think.

What to do while you’re waiting?

The weeks where I didn’t know whether I’d even secure a placement were stressful. But the best advice I can give is to start reading anyway. Even if you can’t begin your literature review, you can start reading for your methodology and methods section. Think about what type of research you want to conduct, how you would like to do it and get started on the ethics form. The more groundwork you do early, the easier everything becomes later. Because once you do secure a host, everything speeds up. Your thirty hours in the field fly by, and suddenly you’re juggling a 3,000‑word report, a presentation, and other assessments all at once. “Little and often” genuinely is the key. You cannot leave this module until the end.

The ethics form:

As mentioned above, do not underestimate the work that goes into your ethical statement. No stone will be left unturned when it comes to the university being reassured that your research will be ethically conducted. You have to consider risks to yourself, the participants and to the university. Confidentiality, anonymity, health and safety factors, who your participants will be and what risks they might face all have to be considered. Most importantly you have to justify your research as to why its necessary and ethically sound. We all had many drafts of our ethical statements before they were signed off, so again give yourself plenty of time to complete them and don’t be offended when they’re picked apart.

The challenge and reward of real fieldwork:

This module had me writing an abstract, introduction, critical literature review, methodology and methods section, findings, and discussion. But the hardest part wasn’t the writing for me it was conducting the actual research entirely on my own.

Walking into a room full of strangers, explaining my project, and then spending thirty hours taking fieldnotes in a room full of strangers who were opening up about horrific acts of violence was nerve‑wracking and uncomfortable at times. But it pushed me in ways no other module has. I got to speak to the CEO and her employees about the challenges domestic abuse charities face when providing support, the rewards their hard work provides them, and I observed the difference they make to women’s lives first-hand. I even had the opportunity to conduct an interview with the CEO which was a great experience and something I never imagined I’d be confident enough to do. It has shown me that if this were a method I would like to adopt for the dissertation, I am more than capable of doing that.

Transcribing an interview and doing thematic analysis across pages of scribbled notes and a full transcript is tough, stressful, and time‑consuming but I did it. Figuring out my researcher positionality and keeping a research diary was challenging too, yet it really helped me understand myself as a researcher which again will be useful for the dissertation especially due to the similarities between my research focus.

Why should you consider this module?

If you want a challenge and if you want to walk into third year feeling prepared CRI2013 is worth every hour you put into it. It’s demanding but you will finish the module not just with a grade, but with real research experience you can talk about in interviews, put on your CV, and genuinely be proud of. I was proud to present my research, and I was proud to watch my peers do the same because our hard work paid off.