CJ 3170

CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESEARCH METHODS

(A WP COURSE)

SYLLABUS

Dr. William Bourns
Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice
Room: 207-B, Classroom Building
Phone: (209)664-6727
E-mail: WBourns@stan.csustan.edu

See Office Hours on Door
or leave message on voicemail, e-mail,
or in my box in the office.
I am also available before and after class.

  Required Text: Maxfield, M.G. & Babbie, E. (2000). Research Methods for Criminal Justice and Criminology. 3rd Edition. Wadsworth.

Course Description:

Directed social science research applied to gathering data in criminal justice and criminological research. The focus will be on special problems encountered in research settings and groups where information about crime is to be gathered and analyzed. Includes review of research. Satisfies upper division writing proficiency requirement. Corequisite: CJ 3173. Prerequisite: CJ 2250. Purpose or Objectives of the Course:
  1. To have students develop an understanding of the processes and procedures and use of conception research methods.
  2. To have students apply judgment and analysis as to appropriate or inappropriate use of these tools and methods.
Expectations of Students:
  1. Attendance and participation in the classroom.
  2. Read all assigned material and participate in a lecture-discussion format.
  3. Completion of all exams as the time they are scheduled.
  4. Completion of student assignments and WP research assignment by due date.

 
 

Grading:
A. Hour Exam I (multi-choice, matching, short answer) 100 points

B. Hour Exam II (multi-choice, matching, short answer) 100 points

C. Exercise: Crime Data 26 points

D. Exercise: Criminal Justice Research Data 26 points

E. Exercise: Census Data (Group) 61 points

F. Exercise: Questionnaire Construction (Group) 61 points

G. Exercise: Field Research Observation 26 points

H. WP Assignment 300 points

I.  Final Exam 200 points

Total: 900 points
Standard Deviation +3 to +2 A

Standard Deviation +2 to +1 B

Standard Deviation +1 to -1 C

Standard Deviation -1 to -2 D

Standard Deviation -2 to -3 F

 Please note: Your letter grade for the course is based upon your total accumulation of points. A perfect score would be 900 points. An average score would be half of this or 450 points. Your letter grade will not be known until the final class points mean is computed and then placed into a grade curve (based upon standard deviation units). Remember: You will not get letter grades during the course (you accumulate points). The plus and minus grading option will not be used in this course.
 
 

Make-up Exams:

With appropriate documentation, such as any of the following, a student may take a missed hour exam:

A. Notice of death or funeral home program card for immediate family (father, mother, sister(s), brother(s) or grandparent(s).

B. Upon appropriate documentation of illness (doctor’s note or hospital document).

C. Military service or having to work in a criminal justice capacity and upon presentation of military orders or a note from your criminal justice agency letterhead stating you had to work and signed by your supervisor or superior.

D. All other emergencies (such as your children) or other factors that caused you to miss an hour exam will be evaluated and judged by the instructor as to the permission of a student to take a missed hour examination. All these events will require some form of documentation.
 
 
 
 

 Plagiarism:

All perspective criminal justice students fall under a Code of Ethics. For future police officers the IACP (International Chiefs of Police) has a code and for juvenile and corrections the American Correctional Association (ACA) has one. Sociologists also have a well-developed code of ethics. Plagiarism violations (the incorporation of another’s work into your own without citation of the source) are part of these codes. When you apply to work in the criminal justice system, pre-investigators do a background check including talking with your criminal justice professors. Don’t be caught plagiarizing. Plagiarism is a violation of the student code of ethics. If in doubt, cite the source(s).
 
 

Attendance:

Good scholars are good class attenders. Much of the material on exams is from class lectures and not in your book(s). Classroom attendance and class participation can help to make the difference from a marginal grade moved upwards toward a better grade. Students are expected to attend 80% of all classes. Students who miss 4 or more classes on a Tuesday-Thursday schedule or who miss 6 or more classes on a Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule will have their grade lowered.
 
 

Electronic Devices:

Please turn off all cell phones and pagers during class.
 
 

Research Project Work (WP):

For the WP component of Criminal Justice Research Methods, you are to develop during the semester (progress will be checked in class at different times) and submit at the end of the last week of class a research project report which includes the following:

REQUIREMENTS

Minimum Total: 26 Pages

Your research project report must be 26 double spaced, typewritten pages of text (including reference page). A. ABSTRACT
 
1 Page
One page summary of your research project identifying the independent and dependent variables and your hypothesis statement(s). Also summarize your design and methodology and anticipated results. Limited to 150 words.
B. BODY OF TEXT
Page 2-6: Justification for Study and Topic

Reason why topic is important and should be studied. This section must also include your hypothesis (guesses) as to predicted outcome of the study. State your hypothesis as to correlation and/or causation (which do you expect: correlation or causation).

Note: All hypothesis must be stated in if and then statements. Identify independent and dependent variables.

Pages 6-15: Literature Review on your topic. (See text book)

Pages 16-22: Methods Section

Include your design (note it must have a treatment and control) and include any sampling techniques and interview questionnaire. How did you operationalize your variables?

Pages 23-25: What results do you anticipate? Do you foresee any problems? How?
Will you analyze your results (raw scores, percentages, tables, etc)?

TEXT = 26 Pages of TEXT (Including abstract and reference page(s).)


C. TOPIC

You are to develop a research project that examines violence (violence prevention) in the schools. Your topic may be:
1. Police in the schools - Make a difference?

2. Violence prevention programs in schools - Make a difference?

3. DARE/GREAT/Other drug and alcohol programs in the schools: Different Results?

4. Gun prevention in schools - Effectiveness of such programs?

5. Mentoring of students in schools - Make a difference?

6. After-care, after school programs that help reduce violence, anger, drugs, guns, or gangs in the schools - Effectiveness?

7. Other topics related (see instructor)
Note: Your topic for your research project report must be about violence (violence reduction) in the schools.

D. DESIGN
Your research project report must include the following: 1. Treatment and Control Methods

2. Independent and Dependent Variable(s): Identify which is which

3. Hypothesis: Must be stated as If and Then statement(s).

4. Research Design/Methodology/Sampling or Population Techniques

5. Operationalization of Variables (how you will measure them)

6. Questionnaire or other research instrument (if used). This should be attached at the end of your research project report.

 E. DRAFT REVIEWS Review #1 - Pages 1 - 6 Justification for Study and Topic

Review #2 - Pages 6 - 15 Literature Review

Review #3 - Pages 16 - 22 Methods Section
 

 F. REFERENCE PAGE One page of a minimum of 12 references (you may have more but not less). Note that only _ may be taken from the Internet. The others must come from journals and books in the library. Use APA style of reference throughout the paper. This one page of references must come at the end of your paper.  
REMEMBER: YOU MUST USE APA STYLE






APA Reference Web Sites:

APA style essentials

NMSU Library

Electronic Reference Formats

Recommended by American Psychological Association

APA Citations (Webster University)

http://www.library.uscu.edu/library/ref/instruction/refguides/apa.html

USCS Library Reference System

APA Style Citations and References

MINIMUM TOTAL = 26 PAGES (Reference page may be longer than one page)
 
 

STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO HAVE THEIR PAPER REVIEWED

BY THE WRITING CENTER BEFORE FINAL SUBMITION






CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESEARCH METHODS

TENTATIVE TOPICS AND TENTATIVE EXAM SCHEDULE



 
 
 

Purpose of Research/Experimental and Agreement Reality
Kansas City Patrol Car Experiment
House Detention: ELMO Science of pictures/Science of numbers
What happened to the Dinosaurs?
Pure and Applied Science
Empirical Science, Normative Science, Anti-positivists
(Brute Empiricism) The Night Sky: The oldest recorded observations
The Mocking Bird Story: ERROR
Observation over TIME and DISTANCE plus ERROR
Variable (Recording of an observation) Correlation and Causation
Investigation and Fact Finding
Induction and Deduction
Paradigm
Operationalization
Theory Formation: Building Facts and Laws UCR and NCVS (Uniform Crime Report and National
Crime Victimization Survey)
Where Can I Find Data?
Internet Web Sources
Measuring Crime - Problems
NIBRS - The National Incident Based Reporting System
Class Assignment: UCR or Crime in England or Canada
FBI: UCR - Uniform Crime Report (FBI web page)
Canada: CISC: Criminal Intelligence Service
Canada Annual Report
(Department of Justice - Canada)
England: Crime Statistics: England and Wales
(Intelligence and Security Committee Annual Report) Where to Find Criminal Justice Data
Criminal Justice Journals
Government Documents
Statistical Abstracts Dependent (outcome)
Independent (predictor)
Hypothesis: If and Then statements
Types of Hypothesis - Accept, Reject, Null
Teasing out Variables Simple Validity (Face Validity) and Reliability: Sighting
in a Rifle/Shooting the Bull’s Eye
Internal Validity
Content Validity
Criterion Validity
Construct Validity
External Validity
Reliability
Test - Retest
Interrater Reliability
Split - Half
Threats to Internal Validity
History, Maturation, Selection Bias
Hawthorne Effect (Placebo) Kansas City Gun Experiment
Minneapolis Domestic Violence Experiment
Police Studies
Prison Studies
Hot Spots CIS Mapping
Class Assignment: Criminal Justice Research Units of Analysis
Redutionism
Aggrated (collapsed) Data
Ecological Fallacy
Population and Sample
Time Dimension Studies
Cross-Sectional
Longitudinal
Trend, Cohort Groups, Retrospective Studies
Literature Review
Statement of Research Problem
Sub Parts of a Research Paper Levels of Measurement: Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, Ratio
Picture Comparisons vs. Number Comparisons Measurement
Conceptualization
Conceptual Order
Measurement as Exhaustive/Exclusive
Taxonomy (Typology)
Scales and Indexes
Guttman, Thurstone, Likert Scaling
Semantic Differential, I.Q. "No Harm to Participants"
Abuses of Research
Tuskegee Study
Quit Rage - The Stanford Prison Experiment
Obedience to Authority - Stanley Milgram Experiment
Tearoom Trade - Laud Humphrys
Test of Inflicted Acquisition - Rosenthal & Jacobson
Informed Consent
Covert Research
Professional Code of Ethics
  Classical Design(s)
Control and Treatment
Pretest and Posttest
Quasi-Experimental
Salmon Four
Double Blind
Randomization
Selection Biases
Contamination Effects and Controls
Time Series Populations and samples
Types of samples
Random, Stratified
Multi-stage cluster sampling
 


Table of Random Numbers
Sampling ERROR/Confidence Intervals
Nonprobability Sampling
Quoto, Convenience, Accidental, Snowball

Normal curve
Central Tendency Dispersion
Standard Units of Deviation: Why Standardize -- How
to use
68-95-99 RULE
"Mr. Happy Cookie - Not too fat - Not too thin" -- Mean
Measures of Association: What is a regression line? Types of Interviews: Face-to-face, phone, mail-out
Public Opinion Polls
Interviewer, Probing, Telephone Surveys
Random Digit Dialing
Telephone Techniques
Timing, Interviewer Problems, Contamination Effects Questionnaire Wording - Asking Questions
Open-Closed Questions
Biased Questions
Categories in Answers
Likert Scales
Matrix Questions
Measuring Attitudes and Opinions
Coding of Questionnaires
White Space
Cover Letters
Endorsements Role of Observer
Participant Observer, Covert Observer
Recording Observations
(Conversations or Behaviors?)
Going Native, Gatekeeping, Access to Subcultures
Strength of Field Research: Gaining Insight
Problems of Replication and Generalizability
Campbell and Stanley’s Rejection of Case Studies
Ride-Along Observations
Profiling - DWB Driving While Black (Misapplied Techniques)
Class Assignment: Field Research Observation Formative Evaluation (Process)
Summative Evaluation (Impact)
Policy Analysis - Wording the Problem and Intended Use
Users verses Funders
Obstacles to Evaluation Research - Politics, Time, Money
Applying Research Designs to Program Evaluation
Appropriate Level (and interpretation) of Data Analysis
Unit Analysis -- Problems
Note: Some topics in Chapter 13 builds on previous material Not more than 5-7 minutes oral report
(See Schedule below for dates)


Chapters 11, 12, 13, and Lectures
Note: Some topics in Chapter 13 build on previous material

 
SPRING SEMESTER 2002

CJ 3170

Section 01

CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESEARCH METHODS

TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE AND TENTATIVE EXAM DATES



 
 
 
 
Th. Feb. 14 Unit #1 Introduction & Requirements
Tu. Feb 19 Unit #1 and Unit #2 Class Assignment Due
Th. Feb 21 Unit #3
Tu. Feb. 26 Unit #4
Th. Feb. 28 Unit #11
Tu. Mar. 5 Unit #8 and Unit #6
Th. Mar. 7 Unit #6 TOUR OF LIBRARY (meet at library)
Tu. Mar. 12 Unit #7
Th. Mar. 14 Unit #7
Tu. Mar. 19 HOUR EXAM I Tentative Date--100 points Chapters 1-2-3-4-6-7-8-11
Th. Mar. 21 Unit #5 Crime Data Assignment (26 points)
Criminal Justice Research Data Assignment (26 points)
Tu. Mar. 26 Unit #9 Crime Data Due
Th. Mar. 28 Unit #10 Criminal Justice Research Data Due
Draft of Part I of Paper Due
Tu. Apr. 2 SPRING BREAK
Th. Apr. 4 SPRING BREAK
Tu. Apr. 9 Unit #15
Th. Apr. 11 Unit #15 and Unit #13 Literature Review of Paper Due
Tu. Apr. 16 Unit #13 and Unit #14 Census Data Assignment (61 points)
Th. Apr. 18 Unit #16 Census Data Due
Questionnaire Assignment (61 points)
Tu. Apr. 23 Unit #16
Th. Apr. 25 Unit #17 Questionnaire Due
Tu. Apr. 30 Unit #17
Th. May 2 HOUR EXAM II Tentative Data--100 points CHapters 5-910-13-14-15-16-17
Tu. May 7 Unit #18 Field Research Assignment (26 points)
Th. May 9 Unit #8
Tu. May 14 Unit #8
Th. May 16 Unit #8
Tu. May 21 Unit #19 and Review WP Paper Due
Oral Reports on Paper Due
Th. May 30 FINAL 11:15 AM to 1:15 PM