ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the use of quantitative data in general terms, obstacles to generalization, and the extent to which various kinds of data are generalizable. It discusses some limitations that might be associated with the neglect of empirical research by green/conservation criminologists. Quantitative data and methods add to our understanding of things around us, and building an appropriately broad and sound GCC knowledge base cannot happen when quantitative studies are neglected. The fact that quantitative studies are underrepresented in the GCC literature is problematic particularly because the social science fields, as well as conservation sciences, are predominantly quantitative fields. Quantitative data is heavily employed in conservation and biodiversity research outside of criminology. A number of GCC studies add to the arguments by examining specific examples of related offenses and offenders, and sometimes those studies describe those offenses and offenders using empirical data. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
