School of Sociology and Social Policy

Research Interests

My primary research interests revolve around the area of evidence-based policy-making. This has taken me in numerous directions. I have explored the relationship between science, evidence and policy making in the area of drugs policy and also the interplay between the precautionary principle and evidence-based decision-making. More recently, I have been looking at how recent welfare reforms and changes in drugs policy have impacted on drug users and am currently preparing research publications on state crimes and crimes of the powerful.

Teaching

I mainly teach in the area of crime and related issues. I currently convene the Level One Module - 'Deviance, Crime and Social Control&rsquo' and the Level Two Module 'Drugs: Society, Policy and Politics'. At Level Three I co-convene (with Dr Simon Prideaux) a module on Organized Crime and Violence.

PhD Supervision

I currently supervise and I am keen to supervise potential students with an interest in the following areas:

• Counter-terrorism policy
• Drugs policy (international and domestic)
• Crime and welfare
• Health Crimes
• The policy process and evidence-based policy making

Key Publications

Book

Monaghan, M. (2011) Evidence Versus Politics: Exploiting Research in UK Drug Policy Making? Bristol: Policy Press

Journal Articles

• Monaghan, M. (2012) Cannabis Classification and Drug Policy Governance: An Essay for the United Kingdom Drug Policy Commission, London: United Kingdom Drug Policy Commission http://www.ukdpc.org.uk/publication/essays-on-the-governance-of-drug-policy/
• Monaghan, M., (2012) The Evolution of UK Drugs Policy: From Maintenance to Recovery?, People, Place and Policy Online, 6 (1) 29-40
• Monaghan, M., Pawson, R., and Wicker, K. (2012) The Precautionary Principle and Evidence-Based Policy Making, Evidence and Policy, 8 (2) 171-91
• Monaghan, M. (2010) Adversarial Policies and Evidence Utilisation: Modelling the Evidence and Policy Connection, German Policy Studies, 6 (2) 17-52
• Monaghan, M. (2010) The Complexity of Evidence: Reflections on Research Utilisation in a Heavily Politicised Policy Area, Social Policy and Society, 9 (1) 1-12
• Monaghan, M. (2008) The Evidence-Base in UK Drug Policy: The New Rules of Engagement, Policy and Politics, 36 (1) 145-50
• Monaghan, M. (2008) Appreciating Cannabis: The Paradox of Evidence in Evidence-Based Policy-Making, Evidence and Policy 4 (2) 209-231