The characteristics of Police Science research in the Nordic countries 2020-2026. Protocol for a scoping review.
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Objective: The primary objective is to systematically identify and map how existing Nordic research publications on police and policing use and conceptualize police science, and what distinguishes research that positions itself within police science from research that does not. Introduction: Police science does not operate with a single, unambiguous definition but has been the subject of several definitional attempts over the past two decades. This has given rise to scholarly tensions and ongoing debates concerning the field’s boundaries and substantive content. As an eclectic research field, police science may therefore appear analytically and conceptually unsettled. This knowledge synthesis adopts an open approach to police science as a field of study and explores the characteristics of police research in the Nordic countries, as well as how publications are positioned within (or outside) police science. This knowledge may be useful to researchers who position themselves inside or outside police science. Additionally, it may help clarify the relationship between research on, for, and with the police, and contribute to strengthening research-based policing. Inclusion criteria: Eligible studies include peer-reviewed articles published in reputable scientific journals as well as grey literature in the form of reports produced by Nordic police education institutions, published between 2020 and 2026 in Norwegian, English, Swedish, or Danish. Theses and monographs are excluded. Studies must address policing as carried out by the police and engage with concepts from police science, police research, or research on policing. Only research situated in the Nordic context – Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland – is included. Eligible designs include review studies as well as primary studies, the latter comprising qualitative and quantitative research, and also theoretical papers focusing specifically on the police as an institution and police practice. Studies without a clear focus on the police as an institution and police practice, policy documents, and commentaries lacking empirical evidence are excluded. Full text must be accessible; sources for which full access cannot be obtained will be excluded. The inclusion criteria were defined using the Population, Concept, and Context (PCC) framework. Methods: To identify studies, we will conduct comprehensive searches in multiple bibliographic databases. We will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute’s (JBI) framework for conducting scoping reviews and report findings according to the PRISMA-ScR checklist (Tricco et al., 2018).
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7204182360