Volume 4, Number 1 (2016)

Welcome to the first issue of the fourth volume of the Journal of Qualitative Criminal Justice & Criminology. This is my first issue as editor, and I am pleased to continue along the path established by Will Oliver. It has been both exciting and challenging to take the reins and transition into this role. Thankfully Will already had a great crop of articles prepared for this issue. In a way, you could argue this issue is a result of both of our efforts. To that end, this issue highlights the journal’s continued emphasis on high-quality qualitative scholarship. The first article by Jaclyn Schildkraut provides an excellent social construction analysis of mass shootings between 2000 and 2012. Joseph Johnson and Natalie Schell-Busey examine the role of battle rap videos posted on YouTube in real world street level violence. Nancy Marion and Ronald Gelleny analyze a series of interviews with Canadian and US officials to understand the transformation of border policies in both nations. These articles provide unique insights and demonstrate the range of qualitative methods being employed across the discipline. The book reviews included in the issue also highlight quality scholarship produced in various arenas.