Conducting Online Crime and Safety Surveys with British Farmers

Abstract

Rural crime continues to be an under-represented area of academia. As a result, much of the methodological guidance tends to stem from health or rural development research, providing general guidance, but lacking the specific considerations of conducting crime and safety research in a rural environment. However, the impact of COVID-19 has led to a wider consideration of online surveys, particularly in rural communities. This paper provides guidance on conducting online crime and safety surveys with the farming community based on the extensive experience of the author in the field of rural criminology. Methodological considerations will be addressed that distinguish rural online crime and safety surveying from its urban counterpart, and the advantages and disadvantages of this methodology will be discussed. The aim being to guide the rural criminological researcher in the use of online surveys to obtain key data from the farming community to support and extend their research.