Editors' Introduction to Vol. 7, Issue 3

Welcome to Volume 7, Issue 3 of the International Journal of Rural Criminology. It is an extra issue necessitated by the volume of articles published in the special issues on rural policing (volume 7, issue 1 and issue 2).<br/> This issue contains five scholarly articles, one research note and a book review. The first article from Madison Charman and Christopher O'Connor considers the impacts of gender on boomtown economies – those places in Canada and the United States which see rapid economic growth brought about by extractive industries but which are more often than not accompanied by social disjuncture. The late Rick Ruddell's extensive work on what she referred to as the dark side of boomtowns has set the stage for a raft of future research examining an array of various impacts, and this article from Charman and O'Connor sheds light specifically on the challenges faced by women in these settings. The authors helpfully identify further gaps for future research.