AN INTRODUCTORY SECTION OUTLINES ORGANIZATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS PERTINENT TO POLICE RESEARCH AND SUMMARIZES THE MAJOR DIMENSIONS AROUND WHICH IT IS STRUCTURED (I.E., BEHAVIORAL, TECHNOLOGICAL, ABSTRACT, APPLIED, OPERATIONAL, AND ADMINISTRATIVE RESEARCH). THE SCOPE OF RESEARCH WHICH HAS BEEN UNDERTAKEN IN AUSTRALIA IS EXAMINED; RESEARCH HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT LIMITED IN THAT COUNTRY. RESEARCH EFFORTS OF POLICE FORCES, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE AGENCIES WITH SUBSTANTIAL RESEARCH FUNCTIONS, UNIVERSITIES, AND INDIVIDUALS ARE CONSIDERED. SOME PROJECTS WHICH HAVE BEEN UNDERTAKEN IN AUSTRALIA INCLUDE STUDIES OF: POLICEWOMEN; OFFENDER IDENTIFICATION METHODS; PERSONNEL EVALUATION; AUTOMOBILE SPEED DETECTION DEVICES; PATROL VEHICLE EQUIPMENT; COORDINATION OF POLICE ACTIVITIES; USE OF WATERCRAFT IN LAW ENFORCEMENT; AND USE OF COMPUTERS IN POLICE WORK. THE AUTHOR RECOMMENDS ESTABLISHMENT OF A POLICE RESEARCH INSTITUTE TO CONDUCT RESEARCH AT A NATIONAL LEVEL. RESEARCH EFFORTS WHICH HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, AND ENGLAND AND WALES ARE SUMMARIZED. AS AUSTRALIA IS RELATIVELY ISOLATED FROM OTHER CULTURALLY SIMILAR COUNTRIES, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT POLICE COMMANDERS AND ADMINISTRATORS STUDY THE RESULTS OF RESEARCH PERFORMED IN THESE OTHER COUNTRIES FOR INFORMATION REGARDING NEW METHODS, MATERIALS, AND IDEAS. REFERENCES ARE LISTED, AND APPENDIXES PROVIDE A SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY OF POLICE RESEARCH AND A LIST OF AUSTRALIAN POLICE RESEARCH UNIT NOMENCLATURES. (VDA)