What causes crime? This seemingly simple question is dauntingly complex and has yielded answers so diverse and numerous as to fill two volumes of the Encyclopedia of Criminological Theory. In discussing a criminology topic, lecturers and course textbooks often toss out names of theorists or make a sideways reference to a particular theory and move on, as if assuming their student audience possesses the necessary background to appreciate and integrate the reference. However, university reference librarians can tell you this is often far from the case. Students often approach them seeking a source to provide a quick overview of a particular theory or theorist with just the basics-the 'œwho, what, where, how, and why,' if you will. And reference librarians often find it difficult to guide these students to a quick, one-stop source. It is the goal of this encyclopedia, available in both print and electronic formats, to provide that resource. This work is designed to serve as a reference source for anyone interested in the roots of contemporary criminological theory. Drawing together a team of international scholars, it examines the global landscape of all the key theories and the theorists behind them, presenting them in the context needed to understand their strengths and weaknesses. In addition to interpretations of long-established theories, it also offers essays on cutting-edge research as one might find in a handbook. And, like an unabridged dictionary, it provides concise, to-the-point definitions of key concepts, ideas, schools, and figures. Coverage will include contexts and concepts in criminological theory, the social construction of crime, policy implications of theory, diversity and intercultural contexts, conflict theory, rational choice theories, conservative criminology, feminist theory, and more.