Crowdsourcing Research: A Methodology for Investigating State Crime

Abstract

“Crowdsourcing” now gets 10 million hits on Google, and is being applied to research in commercial, media, academic, civil society and state spheres. Although appearing recent and technology-based, there are also relevant but overlooked manual precursors which embody the fundamentals of using large groups for research. This analytical review provides the bases for developing initiatives further, by assessing: What are the strategies, strengths and weaknesses of crowdsourcing research? What are the questions that should be asked when planning a research design? How is crowdsourcing being applied in relation to state crime, and why? What might be the implications for justice systems, and for criminal and international courts?