In order to aid the National Institute of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice (NILECJ) in developing a research program into the correlates and determinants of crime, several methods were employed. First, current journal articles, reports, books, and transcripts of talks were reviewed and eight significant areas of contemporary research identified: economic factors, correlates of intrafamily violence, crowding/density, correlates of delinquency, race and crime, personality factors, biological factors, and comparative studies of high and low crime communities. These subjects were explored in two colloquia organized to obtain ideas from leading researchers in criminal justice and related areas. While the first meeting considered biological and developmental factors, domestic violence, and methodology, the second focused on the concept of stress and its influence on crime. Topics discussed included life change, adaptation in prison, life events preceding arrest, and unemployment and social pathology. Research ideas were also collected by mailing 2 questionnaires which were completed by 44 criminal justice researchers. In the first survey, respondents stated areas needing basic research within several general categories. This data was used to develop a second questionnaire in which respondents were asked to select 10 out of 48 research topics and rank them in terms of priority for support. A survey of 10 Federal agencies indicated that most were not committed to basic research, but provided some data relevant to research topics and methodology. Finally, nine areas for research were suggested: intrafamily violence, white-collar and corporate crime, social control and deterrence, definitions of crime, economic factors and processes, developmental factors and processes, biological factors and processes, cultural ethnic factors and processes, and community factors and processes. Specific research topics are presented for each area, along with a brief discussion of methodologies and methods of continuing the flow of research ideas to NILECJ. Tables and 68 footnotes are included. The two questionnaires and the names of respondents are appended. (Author abstract modified)