Instructor:
Dr. William E. Thornton, Ph.D.
Email: thornton@loyno.edu
Office: Stallings
Room 124
Office Phone:
865-2134
Department Phone:
865-3323
Course
Meeting Time/Dates:
Friday
Sept 12 & 13; Oct 10 & 11; and Nov 7& 8
Course Meeting
Location: LI 133, Multi-Media Room II
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Research methodology includes the conceptualization of a research theory
or problem and the collection and analysis of data to reach a conclusion.
Basic research methods courses concentrate on the logic, terminology, and
concepts in research methodology. Data collection and analysis techniques
including descriptive and inferential statistical applications in relation
to appropriate data sets are also covered. CRJU 710 will review this
basic material but a substantial component of the course will be reading
and discussing aspects of criminal justice research. The uses of social
research in various settings will be reviewed.
While this course
is taught within the context of criminal justice, the basic techniques
of research methods and statistics are not “discipline” bound. Our
framework for the course will be on the advanced aspects of research methodology
and the use of statistics to analyze both primary and secondary data.
Research and examples from the field of criminology and criminal justice
will be used throughout the course.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of this course, the student should:
1. Be familiar with
the logic and concepts necessary to understand and conduct social research
in the field of criminology and criminal justice;
2. Be able to conceptualize a research problem or theory;
3. Be able to operationalize and measure variables for scientific analysis;
4. Be able to understand research from a wide variety of disciplines;
5. Be able to apply and interpret descriptive and inferential statistics
in a variety of research designs;
6. Be able to write a research proposal and implement the research
problem/theory by collecting and analyzing data.
Prerequisites: There are
no prerequisites for this course. Most students who have earned bachelor
degrees in the social sciences (e.g., sociology, psychology, criminology,
criminal justice, etc.) should have taken a basic social science statistics
course. The introduction and use of statistics in this course
will be from an interpretational and understanding view rather than from
a computational one. To this extent, individuals without some background
in statistics and research methods should be able to understand the course
content. One of the texts, Research Methods in Criminal Justice and
Criminology by Frank Hagan can serve as a basic review for both those students
who have had earlier courses in their college degree programs and for those
who have not.
COURSE TEXTS and
OTHER REQUIRED READING MATERIALS:
(1) Frank E. Hagan.
Research Methods in Criminal Justice and Criminology, 2000 - obtain
from bookstore;
(2) Policies,
Processes and Decisions of the Criminal Justice System (Volume 3).
(3)
Measurement and Analysis of Crime and Justice (Volume 4).
(4) William Thornton, Chapter 7 (Criminological
Research: Methods and Resources)
(5)Daubert
v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 509 U.S. 579 (1993);
(6) Federal
Rules of Evidence 702
COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Grades for the course will be derived
from several sources:
(1) a comprehensive
final examination – last class - (25%);
(2) several small written assignments/exercises - To be assigned in
class - (25%);
(3) class participation; and,
(4) a research project and presentation - DUE Dec 5, 2003 (50%).
GRADING POLICY:
93-100 = A
85 -92 = B
76-84 = C
Class
attendance is a requirement.
Roll will be taken at the beginning, and possibly the end, of each class.
Issues, discussions, and student presentations require attendance and participation
at all scheduled class meetings. No classes may be missed without instructor's
permission. Absence from each class will result in a grade reduction
of one letter grade. No late assignments will be accepted for any
reason.
COURSE OUTLINE:
Students should read the corresponding chapter to each assignment and be
prepared to respond to the learning objectives listed below. Your reading
should follow this sequence: (Read all material in points 1 and 2 on the
outline before the first class meeting on Sept. 12)
1. Introduction
to Criminal Justice Research Methods: Theory and Method
- Read: Hagan, Chp. 1; Thornton,
Chp. 7 (good basic review); David Duffee, David McDowall, Lorrane Mazerolle,
and Stephen Mastrofski. Measurement and Analysis of Crime
and Justice: An Introductory Essay in Measurement and Analysis of Crime
and Justice, v. 4; Bonnie S. Fisher and Francis T. Cullen. Measuring
the Sexual Victimization of Women: Evolution, Current Controversies, and
Future Research in Measurement and Analysis of Crime and Justice, v.
4
a. the scientific
method
b. the logic of analysis
c. pure vs. applied research
d. qualitative vs. quantitative research
c. theory construction and its relationship to science
d. subjectivity vs. objectivity
e. constructed types and models
f. the uses of social research
g. variables - what are variables, conditions of causality, interaction
of variables, levels of measurement, interaction of variables, the elaboration
technique, model building, etc.
h. validity vs. reliability - Daubert and Jumho Tire cases; International
Association of Professional Security Consultants recent guidelines; read:
Appendix F in Hagan: Proposal Writing; Applied Research Example - security
topic:
2. Ethics in Criminal
Justice Research - read: Hagan,
Chp. 2
a. ethical horror
stories
b. the researcher's role, research targets, etc.
c. a code of ethics
3. Research Design:
The Experimental Model and Its Variations
- read: Hagan, Chp. 3
a. types of research
design in a nutshell
b. the experimental model - logic by which all other designs model
themselves
c. causality - one more time
d. internal factors - variables related to internal validity
e. external factors - variables related to external validity
f. rival causal factors
g. the classical experimental design /and variations
?
?The
?The
?The
h.
advantages and disadvantages of experiments
4. Alternative
Data Gathering Strategies and the Special Case of the Uniform Crime Reports
- read: Hagan, Chp. 4
a. field research
- social survey, interviews - a brief introduction
b. observation - levels of observations - a brief introduction
c. unobtrusive measures - a brief introduction
d. case studies/life history/ historical measures - a brief introduction
e. official reports - the UCR - more data than we know what to do with
f. crime rates, etc.
g. NIBRS
5. Survey Research
and Sampling - read:
Hagan, Chp. 5
a. types of sampling
probability vs. non
probability
Focus Groups and
Mock Trials
Crime Profiling
b. survey research
c. self reported measures of crime - read: Thornberry and
Krohn - The Self Report Method of Measuring Delinquency and Crime
(in Measurement and Analysis of Crime and Justice, v. 4)
reliability and validity
d. interviews
and telephone surveys -- read: Hagan, Chp. 6
The National Crime Victimization Survey - read:
David Cantor and James Lynch - Self Report Surveys as Measures of Crime
and Criminal Victimization (in Measurement and Analysis of Crime and
Justice, v. 4; Mark Warr. Fear of Crime in the
6. Participant
Observation and Case Studies
- read: Hagan, Chp. 7
7. Unobtrusive
Measures, Secondary Analysis, and the Uses of Official Statistics
- read: Hagan, Chp. 8
a. major types
of unobtrusive measures
b. physical trace analysis
c. use of available data and archives
d. content analysis by computer
Grid Analysis and Hot Spot Analysis
- read: Luc Anselin, Jacqueline Cohen, David Cook, Wilphen Gorr,
and George Tita - Spatial Analysis of Crime - (in Measurement and
Analysis of Crime and Justice, v. 4)
8. Applied Research - Analysis, Interpretation and Discussion
- Mark A Cohen.
Measuring the Costs and Benefits of Criminal Justice (in Measurement
and Analysis of Crime and Justice, v. 4);
- Bonnie Fisher and Francis T. Cullen. Measuring the
Sexual Victimization of Women: Evolution, Current Controversies, and Future
Research (in Measurement and Analysis of Crime and Justice, v.
4);
- Jonathan P. Caulkins. Measurement and Analysis of
Drug Problems and Drug Control Efforts (in Measurement and Analysis
of Crime and Justice, v. 4);
- Gregory Howard, Graeme Newman and William Pridemore.
Theory, Method and Data in Comparative Criminology (in Measurement
and Analysis of Crime and Justice, v. 4);
9. Validity, Reliability and Triangulated Strategies - read:
Hagan, Chp. 9
a. ways of determining
validity
b. reliability
test retest, multiple
forms, Split half method (Statistical Package for the Social Science)
10. Scaling and
Indexes - read: Hagan, Chp.
10
a. what are scales,
indexes
b. ordinal and higher scales
c. packaged scales
d. the use of scales (e.g., employment pre- screening, psychological
testing, etc.)
11. Data Analysis: Coding, Tabulation and Simple Data Presentation
- read: Hagan, Chp. 11; SPSS handouts and demonstration
a. coding and data reduction
b. entering data
c. package computer programs and spread sheets
d. simple data presentation
e. graphic presentations
f. table reading
g. elaboration technique
12. Data Analysis Techniques: A Guide to Statistics -
read: Hagan, Chp. 12; SPSS handouts and demonstration
a. the use of
statistics
b. types of statistics - nature and types
c. measures of central tendency
d. measures of dispersion
e. standard deviation
f. chi square
g. chi square based measures of association
Phi coefficient
Contingency C
Cramers V
h. select statistical
measures
- tests of significance
- t Test (difference of means test)
- correlation coefficient
- Pearsons r
- regression
- Spearmans Rho
- Goodman and Kruskals Gamma
- Multivariate Analysis
- partial correlation
- multiple correlation and regression (read article #3: Surette.
Media Echoes: Systemic Effects of News Coverage)
13. Policy Analysis and Evaluation Research - read: Hagan,
Chp. 13
a. Evaluation
Research
b. The evaluation process
read: Ingo Kilitz - Standards and Measures of Court Performance
(in Measurement and Analysis of Crime and Justice, v. 4)
c. Types of evaluation research
I. Major Research
Project -
You should select
a research topic that has some interest to you (e.g. from your job/career)
and me. You are going to engage in the research process by formulating
a problem, selecting a research design, collecting data, analyzing data
and presenting your findings in a research report.
You will first develop
a research proposal which will then be used to guide your actual research.
Your design will use
the following format:
1. Problem To
Be Solved Or Theory To Be Tested: State
this clearly and precisely. Are you testing a specific theory (e.g., delinquency
causation, criminal justice management style, security or crime prevention
technique, etc.)? Why is there a need to test the theory? Is there a debate
in the field, profession or literature regarding this theory as opposed
to another one? Are you trying to solve a particular problem or glean more
information about a perceived problem? In this case you may not be testing
a theory because one does not exist. Explain precisely what the problem
is (e.g., public misperception of casino gambling and enhanced crime).
What is the need or purpose for doing this research? Does it
add anything to existing knowledge? Is it utilitarian for some agency,
business, etc.? What are the independent and dependent variables of the
study? How are these variables to be operationalized? What are possible
control variables to be examined in the study? What hypotheses will you
test?
2. Review Of
Literature: Review other studies/literature
in the research area you are studying. You should include AT LEAST 20 detailed
references. These should come from books, journals, periodicals, etc. Several
indexes (social, psychology, criminal justice, business, legal, etc.) are
available in the Loyola library. Other basic on line computer indexes are
also available. These works should be incorporated into your argument or
theory rather than just listed or reviewed. In other words, what
have other researchers found in testing a particular theory or solving
a particular problem like yours. How does this relate to your research?
Do you expect to find similar results or different results? You may be
conducting your research because you disagree with past findings in the
field (e.g., men and women do not think differently as past studies suggest).
You may also be replicating a particular study. You can use the Internet
for resources but be careful as to their quality and integrity. Look at
the criminology, law and legal web sites (West Publishing has a great reference
work entitled The Legal List: Research on the Internet by Diana Botluk
1-800-328-4880).
3. Hypotheses:
State in a hypothetical form (or null form) what you EXPECT to find. Hypotheses
are specified expectations about empirical reality, derived from propositions
from your theory or points from your projected problem. For example, you
may be testing a theory of crime displacement which argues that target
hardening one property, such as an apartment complex, will displace crime
(i.e., criminal activity) to another property. To test this
theory, you may have a number of hypotheses: H1 An apartment complex which
has access control in the form of keyed entry will have less criminal activity
than an apartment complex without access control; H2 An apartment complex
with security guards on duty during hours of darkness will have less criminal
activity than an apartment complex without security guards during hours
of darkness, etc. Hypotheses are more refined relationships derived
from your theory or problem. You may have several hypotheses in your study.
Each one will be tested empirically by statistical analysis. For
statistical analysis, hypotheses can be written in the null form in which
the research either rejects or fails to reject the hypotheses based on
statistical findings.
4. Collection Of
Data: Explain specifically
how you will collect your data. If permission is needed to obtain certain
data, indicate how you will deal with that. If you state that you are going
to interview rapists to find out why they rape, can you really get access
to this class of offenders? State in detail your data collection
techniques; if you use a questionnaire or interview schedule, include it
in this section. State how you will pre-test the instrument. State what
the reliability and validity measures will be; What type of sample will
you use; How will you sample, etc. If you are using secondary data,
indicate how you will obtain this data.
5. Data Analysis:
Explain how you will analyze your data and what types of statistical tests
you will employ. Is the data that you collect at the appropriate
level for more robust statistical manipulation? Are you interested
in testing for causality or simply presenting a descriptive analysis
which will be further analyzed later. Here you can also comment on the
type of presentation that you will make to your client (e.g., funding agency,
contract research, interagency, etc.).
6. Conclusion:
Here again you can only initially speculate on the possible findings in
the proposal stage. Given what other researchers have found, what might
you expect? How might this information be used (e.g., policy formation,
further the literature in the area, etc.)? Of course,
if this research project were actually conducted and if the
data were actually collected and analyzed, then you would have real results
to present.
II.
Select Assignments and Exercises
1. Article critique
and analysis: There are a number
of empirical journal articles included in your syllabus (articles 1-16).
The content of each article, hopefully, relates to a topic that we are
or will be discussing in respective classes. Select two (2) articles
and trace them through the steps the scientific method (i.e., the step
above - Problem or Theory, Review of Literature, Hypotheses, Collection
of Data, Analysis of Data, Conclusion). I will assign a student or
students for a specific article to be orally presented to the class (for
discussion) in at least one class during the term. The rest of us
should also be prepared to discuss the article.
2. Variable
Conceptualization and Operationalization:
We discuss the process of conceptualizing and operationalizing variables
used in research designs. As we will note, some variables are relatively
easy to operationalize (e.g., sex, race, income, test scores, etc.); other
variables are more difficult to measure (e.g., attitudinal measures).
In some cases, a researcher can rely on replicated research to obtain a
measure for his/her variables. In other instances, variables
may be “packaged” , “pre-tested”, and checked for reliability and validity
by research “vendors” (e.g., personnel evaluation, program evaluation,
various attitudinal measuring instruments, etc.). Your assignment
is to provide a conceptual and nominal definition for the following variables
and then provide an operationalization schema for the actual measurement
of the variables.
a. high
crime area
b. fear of crime
c. criminal opportunity
d. reasonable and adequate security
e. juvenile violence proneness
f. crime foreseeability
3. Survey
and interview field test: Under
the rubric “field research”, we discuss two data collection techniques,
questionnaires and interview. Your assignment is to develop a survey
instrument and or interview schedule composed no more than 15 closed
and/or open ended response formats which could be used to measure the topic,
Perceptions of Safety on the Loyola Campus. You will be given time
during one of the classes to go and test your instrument on at least five
subjects on the campus. We will discuss both your instrument and
the responses that you obtained
with the instrument in class.