Th is volume grows out of two parallel but distinct developments in social science research that aff ect the way researchers study and seek to have an impact in the areas of crime and criminal justice. Th ese are the increasing acceptance and practice of (some form of ) refl exivity in social science research, on the one hand, and, on the other, the changing context of research itself. On the latter point, we note that criminologists working across diff erent jurisdictions are experiencing heightened pressures to render their research relevant and appealing to external audiences