I. GUNS IN THE HANDS OF CRIMINALS

In the last two decades, social scientists began serious, extensive study of firearms issues. This research attention marks a significant change from the academy’s lack of interest in earlier decades regarding serious research about guns and gun control. Gary Kleck, Professor of Criminology at Florida State University, has done more than any other scholar to improve and advance firearms-related quantitative social science research. In this essay, Kleck outlines suggested research directions for further quantitative scholarship. The intention of this paper is to identify topics related to the links among guns, violence and gun control that have not yet been adequately studied, and to very briefly outline the kinds of research that might add useful knowledge about these topics. In each section a topic is listed, followed by one or more possible research projects. There is no intention to be exhaustive in coverage. Instead, only the more important issues that have not already been adequately addressed in past research are listed. The research projects are limited (with one exception) to those that are reasonably feasible, and are only broadly outlined, rather than described with the kind of detail that would be provided in a research proposal. Supporting citations have been kept to a minimum to save space; interested readers may find relevant information in the pertinent chapters of m