Whilst some research exists on homicide investigations, there is still a lack of research on criminal investigation, together with the challenges of investigative effectiveness, legitimacy and status.

Dominant themes that emerge from many of the research papers in this special edition are: the effects of government austerity measures on resources and workload; the rise of technology and its detrimental effects upon police investigations; the current issues associated with disclosure; oversight of investigations; organizational arrangements for investigations; and the importance of experience, training and knowledge in investigators.