The research occurs in universities and in government agencies responsible for criminal policy. Some individuals and private groups also conduct research. The establishment of the Latin American Institute of the United Nations for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders (ILANUD) in 1975 was a significant event for Costa Rican criminological research, since it promotes collaboration in research activities, inquiries, and meetings of experts. ILANUD is located in Costa Rica. As with other nations which are undergoing economic development, acquiring necessary funding is always a basic difficulty. In addition, Costa Rica lacks a well-established system for recruiting, educating, and using qualified criminologists. Another need is to improve the scope and reliability of official data on crime, criminals, and the administration of criminal justice. All these difficulties stem from the difficulties of developing the rational thought required for the research process in a society which is undergoing rapid socioeconomic and cultural change. The nation has a low crime rate compared with many other countries, but the rate is gradually increasing. Criminology offers much toward the understanding of the nation's socioeconomic difficulties, but the difficulties faced in developing criminology itself must first be overcome. Notes and 1 10-item annotated bibliography are provided.