ABSTRACT
This paper is among the most widely reprinted of Hirschi's articles. It reflects his persistent concern for data destruction techniques, logical devices that for no good reason call into question the results of research. The version here is reprinted from Social Problems , but may be found as well in Delinquency Research, chapter 8. In the preface to the 2nd edition of that book, we read the following: “While the book was being written, Hirschi became involved in a large-scale study of delinquency (Causes of Delinquency. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1969). His sympathies shifted toward the empirical researcher as opposed to the methodological critic. The book's uneven tolerance for deviations from methodological norms and Chapter 8 are results of this shift.” Hirschi and Selvin's discussion retains its relevance today. Indeed, current debates on such topics as racial profiling, “broken windows,” and gun control show that their “false criteria of causality” are still much in use, and continue to disfigure discussion of controversial issues.—JHL/TH
