Conclusions and Recommendations
As can be seen throughout this report, the overall volume of research in this area – both scholarly and in government reports – is low, averaging about one study per year. While we note a recent increase in volume (notably in 2020), constructing a strong evidence base to support cyberpolicing efforts will require initiative and investment from policymakers.
One area in which Canadian research is clearly lacking is the production of rigorous evaluative and experimental research into cyberpolicing and the effects of different cyberpolicing strategies. This means that we are not trialling new initiatives, and/or when police agencies
2 There was no annual meeting held in 2020 due to COVID-19. Therefore, we used the agenda for the 2021 conference
implement new strategies or technologies, they are not being independently or rigorously assessed. Programs or policies aimed at improving the quality of policing in this area need to vigorously promote the benefits of this type of research to both scholars and police services.
An aspect of this research we were pleased to note is the range of topics covered. That said, we also identified ten topic areas of which we could locate no relevant Canadian research, and we are aware that our list of missing topics is hardly representative of the entire spectrum of issues that could be covered. Therefore, policy-makers and funding organizations should consider developing initiatives to help fill in many of these gaps.
Additionally, Canadian research on cyberpolicing is in a relatively healthy shape with respect to the use of diverse research methods and approaches. We are contributing to exploratory, descriptive and causal research through the use of quantitative and qualitative methods. Policymakers should continue to support different research approaches while pushing for the development of innovative and creative programmes of research.
Even though cybercrime and cyberpolicing are areas that lend themselves easily to multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches, most of the studies identified for this report were produced within criminology or sociology departments. Policymakers and funding agencies should also encourage the growth of research that uses multiple disciplinary lenses. Doing so will help generate a stronger oeuvre of Canadian research and lead to a more vibrant community of researchers in this area.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Method of Inquiry
- Findings
- Conclusions and Recommendations
- Acknowledgements
- Appendix I - List of Peer-Reviewed, Published Canadian Papers on Cyberpolicing Topics (2001-2021).
- Appendix II - List of Grey Literature on Cyberpolicing Topics (2001-2021)
- Appendix III - List of Topics Based on ASC presentations (2005 3 - 2021 4).
- References