Framing Belgian police research: an exploration of scoping reviews regarding police decision-making in terms of topics, methodology and literature characteristics – toward a research agenda
Policing: An International Journal
ISSN: 1363-951X
Article publication date: 10 February 2022
Issue publication date: 6 April 2022
Abstract
Purpose
This article provides an overview of the latest empirical research regarding police decision-making in Belgium from 2000 to 2021 in terms of methodology and general findings (e.g. types and year of publication, topics studied). Recommendations are given concerning police research and the development of a research agenda.
Design/methodology/approach
Fourteen separate and limited scoping reviews regarding police decision-making topics were carried out by students in criminology and law. All scoping reviews followed the same procedure.
Findings
Seventy-nine unique publications are included in the analyses. These show that police violence is most frequently studied, whereas violence against the police was only included in one publication. Empirical research on bodycams and (social) media was not found. Most of the studies followed a quantitative research design, mainly by means of secondary data analysis.
Research limitations/implications
The scoping reviews are limited in scope and were carried out by different students, potentially leading to variable interpretations and selections. Additionally, the conclusions are partly the result of the developed review protocols (e.g. keywords, databases).
Originality/value
This article combines 14 different scoping reviews, following the same procedure, on subtopics regarding police decision-making and thus enabling comparison of the literature found in a consistent way.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank all the students for conducting the scoping reviews concerning police decision-making: Margot Bauwens, Lander Blanquart, Aaron Boddin, Stan Bogaerts, Frederik Bormans, Robbe Bouckhout, Annelore Boué, Sietse Burm, Sophie Buysse, Jelko Cools, Wolf De Corte, Sophie De Meyer, Philine De Schagt, Quinten De Schryver, Paulien De Visscher, Tessa Demets, Siebe Deputter, Tine Devriendt, Laurens Dewaele, Ilaya Groenen, Robin Khalfa, Jana Knockaert, Thomas Labis, Kobe Lemmens, Jonas Maas, Jill Mertens, Tineke Meysman, Jana Nestor, Celine Ongenae, Axelle Peel, Anton Scheir, Lennerth Schellis, Aurélie Snauwaert, Maxime Soete, Noa Swolfs, Iris ten Cate, Dries Van Roosbroeck, Naïm Varder, Louis Varrewaere, Dianara Verbouwe and Laurens Welvaert.
Citation
Feys, Y., Verhage, A. and Stevens, A. (2022), "Framing Belgian police research: an exploration of scoping reviews regarding police decision-making in terms of topics, methodology and literature characteristics – toward a research agenda", Policing: An International Journal, Vol. 45 No. 2, pp. 365-381. https://doi.org/10.1108/PIJPSM-10-2021-0133
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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