Research Methods in Criminology: An Inclusive Canadian Open Education Resource – TBC October 2025
Faculty/Staff: Rochelle Stevenson
Platform: Pressbooks
Site link (if applicable): COMING SOON (to be hosted at KPU Press)!
Services provided: H5P support, funding and training for Research Assistant student and subject matter expert/ consultant
Description: This collaborative open textbook project is an adaptation of Research Methods in Criminal Justice (Williams, 2022), led by faculty at TRU, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Langara College, and Capilano University. Revised for Canadian contexts, the resource includes updated and newly added chapters (e.g., Research Ethics, Content Analysis, Quantitative and Qualitative Methods) and weaves in Indigenous research methodologies to support the decolonization of research practices. Converted to Pressbooks through KPU Open Press in Spring 2023, the textbook replaces costly commercial options with a zero-cost, openly licensed alternative. The current phase with TRU Open Press focuses on developing ancillary and interactive materials to support widespread instructor adoption and student engagement. These include PowerPoint slide decks, a comprehensive test bank, curated teaching resources, H5P activities, self-assessment quizzes, multimedia content, and a hyperlinked glossary. With projected use by over 400 students across BC in its first year, the project has received funding from KPU and Langara for Indigenous consultation, student authorship, and ancillary development. TRU Open Press is contributing to H5P creation, which will be hosted both on KPU’s platform and TRU’s open repositories.
Ancillary Materials for Instructors [Link COMING SOON]:
| Instructor Note The ancillary materials for this resource will be released under a Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA) license. However, to help preserve the integrity and intended use of these materials, access via this link will be restricted with a password. If you would like to use or review the ancillary materials for use in your course, please contact the project developer, Rochelle Stevenson to request the access password. This ensures that the materials are distributed responsibly and used in alignment with the project’s educational goals., |
Impact Summary
- Used in course(s): SOCI 2720: Introduction to Social Research Methods
- When:
- Estimated number of students using textbook(s): 40 (average enrollment of TRU students)
- Average price of textbook replaced:
- TRU Students are currently using an OER, Research Methods for Criminal Justice Students by Monica Williams – $0
- The average price of a Sociology-, Criminology-, or Research Methods-related textbook in Canada typically ranges from $75 to $250 depending on format (print or ebook) and publisher – we are using a very modest estimate of $100/ high quality textbook, featuring accessibility and engaging components such as videos, graphics, and interactive H5P activity components.
- Estimated savings: $100 x 400 students = $40,000
