Economic Analysis of Criminal Investigation_Vol. 3 No. 3 (JEL 2026)_Journal of Economics and Law (ISSN: 3005-5768)

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Economic Analysis of Criminal Investigation

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.62517/jel.202614316

Author(s)

Junyan Zhu

Affiliation(s)

Department of Criminal Justice, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Wuhan, Hubei, China *Corresponding Author

Abstract

This paper systematically examines the evolution of the economic analysis paradigm in China’s criminal investigation field, against the background of profound socio-economic transformation and the increasingly severe challenges posed by emerging economic crimes to traditional investigation models since 2003. It chronologically divides the development of the paradigm into four sequential stages: the awakening of cost-benefit awareness, the deepening of inherent economic logic in investigation, the establishment of the big data-driven investigation paradigm, and the deep integration with cutting-edge intelligent technologies and emerging economic forms. This paper clarifies the core connotation, theoretical basis and practical implementation effects of the paradigm, and identifies key unresolved research gaps, including the incomplete localized theoretical system, the mismatch between technological application and legal regulation, and the lack of incentive mechanisms for cross-border investigation cooperation. The study provides theoretical reference for the high-quality development of China’s economic crime investigation in the digital era.

Keywords

Economic Analysis of Criminal Investigation; Economic Crime; Data-Driven Investigation; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Investigation Resource Allocation

References

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