Samenvatting

The practical relevance of police-related research is a much debated issue. In the debate there has not been much attention to the methodological design of research and the effect the design has on relevance. In this article two research designs are discussed that pay special attention to increasing the practical relevance of the research: design-based research and action research. Both designs are uncommon in Dutch police-related research. The two designs are each illustrated with an example and pros and cons are discussed. It is concluded that these designs are useful for improving the impact of police-related research, either when used separately or in combination.