The authors wanted to advise researchers about the questions that remain to be answered about workplace experiences of people with criminal convictions.
They reviewed the existing literature, but then put forward advice in three categories and pointed out the gaps that need filling. This is an area that has not been researched much.
The co-authors believe the unique nature of this population means special solutions must be found. They recommended focusing on the questions of “what”, “how”, “why” and “who” in an attempt to clarify the relevance of criminal records to the selection process. They also encourage researchers to consider the perspectives of the job seekers themselves as well as the employers. Because of the difficulties in obtaining large samples, they advise researchers to focus more on their objectives rather than size.
There has been so little research about this population, but it is an important area because it affects millions of people's lives.
