• The official Journal of The Southwestern Association of Criminal Justice
• Sponsored by The SWOSU Criminal Justice Department
• The Journal of Qualitative Criminal Justice and Criminology, an open access journal. QC is free for the academic community and the public to read. Since 2013, we have been the best journal devoted to qualitative criminal justice and criminology. We publish peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary research on making laws, breaking them, and societal and cultural reaction.
• We also publish work on criminal justice processes, systems, and the personnel who administer criminal justice. Our publications inform criminal justice and criminological concepts, theories, methods, policies, and practices. We focus on research that analyzes non-numerical information to improve knowledge and understanding. We also publish research that combines qualitative with quantitative methods or uses quantitative methods to analyze qualitative criminal justice and criminology. 
• Mission
• Our mission is to promote rigorous qualitative research that enhances our understanding of criminological phenomena. We aim to foster a diverse and inclusive community of researchers who contribute to the development of innovative theories and practices in criminology.
• Call for Papers
• We invite submissions of original research articles, review papers, and theoretical contributions that employ qualitative methodologies. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
• Crime      and deviance
• Criminal      justice policies and practices
• Victimology
• Social      control and surveillance
• Comparative      criminology
• 
  

Journal Submission Update

The journal website is now open for submissions via our new digital portal. However, please note that no reviews will be conducted prior to the mid-year ACJS board meeting in late March.

We encourage you to create a submission account on the journal site. Reviews will begin only after the reviewer list has been programmed and the process finalized. While the new system offers significant improvements, additional time is required to ensure full functionality on the editorial side.

Our goal is to provide a streamlined, modern site. To achieve this, we must first train all participants and establish proper protocols. We appreciate your patience as we work to implement these changes that are necessary to ensure the long term sustainability of the journal.

If you, your students, or colleagues are eager to publish, we understand your anticipation and appreciate your understanding of our current timeline.

Call to Action:

Please proceed to establish your submission account on the journal site at your earliest convenience. This will ensure you are prepared to submit your work once the review process officially begins. 

Qualitative Criminology (QC) | Journals | Southwestern Oklahoma State University

63 articles from the journal of Qualitative Criminology (QC) have been downloaded 10,286 times in less than three months in 135 countries from 09/03/2025 to 11/24/2025.  The journal is already a success on the SWOSU Digital Commons.  Attached is a screenshot of the dashboard map so that you can see where the downloads were done. 

howard.kurtz@swosu.edu