Reconstruction and Exploration: Applications in Criminology

Reconstruction and Exploration (R&E) is an approach developed to support after-action reviews in military and emergency response exercises. With the development of new technology and software, data sets grow larger and more complex in many domains, increasing the need for visual exploration approaches such as R&E. This paper briefly presents the R&E approach and introduces it to the criminology community. Three areas within the field are discussed that may benefit from using structured approaches to data collection and presentation such as R&E: (1) vicarious learning, (2) police intelligence operations, and (3) evidence presentation in trials. In conclusion, the approach looks promising as a complement to existing methods in criminology, and further investigations are recommended to clarify needs, possibilities and challenges ahead.