Fieldwork with Homicide Detectives: 60 Minutes of Reflections from a British and American Criminologist

This chapter contains an edited transcript of a conversation between the two authors that took place in November of 2017. It provides first person insights into the trials and tribulations that we faced while conducting ethnographic fieldwork within the homicide units of two police organizations. We focus specific attention on topics such as preparing for fieldwork, entry into the field, data collection protocols, analysis strategies, and exiting the field. In doing so, we seek to identify lessons learned and provide readers with insight into the textured nature of agency-based qualitative research.