Author’s objective In her article, Caroline Miles strives to create a link between intoxication and homicide. In her view, drug and alcohol abuse forms part of the factors that act as key contributors to homicide incidents. In her research, Miles chooses to focus on a more localised geographical region, choosing England and Wales as her area of choice. However, the author also notes that most of the current research bases its data on the immediate relationship between intoxication and homicide by analysing cases in which the perpetrators or victims prove intoxicated during the occurrence of a homicide. However, in her view, a background of intoxication for the perpetrators and the victims contribute to the occurrence of the crimes 1 , a point that she seeks to prove in her research. She states that a contextual view of the problem, inclusive of the background, creates objectivity and makes her research unique in nature. She further states that her research seeks to prove that intoxication of the victims makes them better targets and enhances their vulnerability to homicides 2 . Research methodology The author applies the use of data analysis and interviews in the compilation of her research. Her sources of choice are the Homicide Index data and police files regarding the topic. The main advantage the use of Homicide Index data is that it portrays a larger picture on the issue as the data represents countrywide results from both England and Wales. In essence, the data shows the severity of the problem, creating emphasis on the significance of the research and the resultant findings. Miles chooses to use data between the years 1995-2005 from forty-three police forces, ensuring that findings from the same indicate more than just technicalities and one-off anomalies. However, although the Homicide index data has much to contribute in terms of its breadth of coverage, the source lacks in-depth information on the matter. For instance, insight into the background of the offenders and their victims and circumstances surrounding the incidents is critical to enable the researcher to understand the data better. Another disadvantage concerning the data is that some cases change the status from homicide, depending on the outcome of court proceedings. However, the same cases still appear on the listing as intoxication-related homicide, which would require the researcher to filter the data before applying it to his or her research. The filtering process makes use of Homicide Index data inadequate and tedious with regard to holistic research information. 3 The author’s use of police files to supplement data from the Homicide Index partially remedies the negative aspects of the homicide index, making her findings based on data analysis more credible. Witness accounts from the reports further enhance her viewpoint on the topic as they offer background information and circumstances surrounding the incidents that would ordinarily be absent in other data sources as is the case with the homicide index. Forensics reports and post-mortem reports also aid in the in-depth analysis the research requires for objective results 4 . However, the application of police files is not without criticism with some scholars contesting against its application citing institutional bias on the topic. The author also chose to use police