ABSTRACT
This chapter identifies, explains and evaluates the various different methodologies that can be adopted within criminal profiling. It provides an analytical tool to evaluate whether counterterrorism strategies can use profiling methods and processes to identify likely terrorist characteristics. The ‘non-scientific’ profiling approaches are considered non-scientific because they do not attempt to test, validate or replicate any of the profiles constructed. The ‘origins of profiling can be traced to fictional literature of the nineteenth century when various characters were given specific roles of catching’ serial murderers and rapists. Across each of the approaches there is no well-defined method or ‘standard for profiling but rather each departs upon different routes to construct a profile of offender characteristics. The inherent problem with all the non-scientific approaches is that they do not specify clear procedures for constructing a profile. An important aspect in evaluating the non-scientific methods is to determine whether they actually work.
