The practical challenges of research that have made it difficult to build a solid empirical foundation on which to base effective policies are examined. These practical challenges include the very large and diverse literatures and disciplinary perspectives and the unique set of methodological difficulties associated with research on victims of crime. Several ways in which these challenges might be overcome are discussed, including multidisciplinary literature reviews, coordinated assessments of methodological approaches and findings, and greater dialogue among those specialized understandings of different forms of victimization. The articles throughout the journal represent one effort to begin to coordinate research and share ideas about how best to respond to various types of criminal victimization. The topics discussed cover victimization across various stages of the life course such as childhood, adolescence, young and later adulthood, and the elderly. The focus of each article differs; some of the articles emphasize how the practice of research can be better linked to policymaking, how hard-to-reach victims might be better served, how risk is correlated across various domains and tie to broader structural conditions, and how legal remedies might better serve victims of crime. Figure, appendix, references