CRJ 301: Research Methods in Criminal Justice Course Times: *** Professor: Melanie Taylor Office Hours: *** Email: Melanietaylor@unr.edu SAMPLE SYLLABUS COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course will provide an introduction to research methods in Criminal Justice and Criminology. Foundations of research, research design, analysis of findings, and ethical issues in researching criminal justice issues will be addressed. This course will use an interactive approach in applying basic research concepts and practices. Students will obtain a thorough understanding of how research is conducted and how practitioners can benefit from this knowledge. UNIVERSITY CORE Prerequisites: Students must have junior or senior standing and completed all General Educations courses that build on Core Objectives 1-3 and satisfy Core Objectives 4-8. CRJ 301 will satisfy Core Objective 14: Application (CO) - Students will be able to demonstrate their knowledge and skills developed in previous Core and major classes by completing a project or structured experience of practical significance. CRJ 301 will develop Core Objective 12: Ethics (CO) - Students will demonstrate understanding of the ethical principles in general or in application of specialized knowledge, results of research, creative expression, or design processes. Students will demonstrate an ability to recognize, articulate, and apply ethical principles in various academic, professional, social, or personal contexts. The Department of Criminal Justice has designated CRJ 301, Research Methods, and CRJ 450 or CRJ 451 as a sequence of courses satisfying CO 12. CRJ 301 in the first few weeks of the semester introduces students to ethical issues in criminal justice research focusing on social science methodology. CRJ 301 is a pre-requisite/co-requisite for CRJ 450/451, but the two courses address distinct ethical issues or topics. Thus, CRJ 450/451 will examine moral decisionmaking and ethical theory in the context of the criminal justice system, its components, and the policies and actions of criminal justice agencies and professionals. Completion of CRJ 450 or CRJ 451 will satisfy CO 12. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (common course SLOs): Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: 1. Identify an appropriate criminal justice issue applying knowledge from prior courses and develop hypotheses that can be tested through a research proposal design project. (CO 14) 2. Apply knowledge on research methodologies and individual research to design a quality research proposal appropriate to test a selected hypothesis. (CO 14) 3. Apply knowledge on research methodology including stages of conducting research and threats to reliability and validity to various class discussions and assignments. (CO 14) 4. Recognize ethical issues in criminal justice research and potential sources of ethical violations when conducting research (CO 12).
5. Apply an appropriate methodology in a research proposal to sufficiently and ethically answer a research question (CO 12) (CO 14) REQUIRED TEXTS: Maxfield, M., and E. Babbie. (2008). Basics of Research Methods for Criminal Justice and Criminology. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning. Second Edition. Additional readings will be placed on webcampus. COURSE REQUIREMENTS & POLICIES: Readings: Students will be required to read portions of the text and selected articles. Knowledge of these materials will be demonstrated through in-class discussions, assignments, tests, and papers. Attendance: Attendance is required in the course. Exams (45 points): Three exams will be given in the course. The exams will cover information from the assigned chapters in the text and videos. Exams will be multiple-choice and will be administered in class. Exams will not be given out prior to the dates listed on the syllabus. Make-up exams will only be given if there is a documented reason for missing the exam (e.g. medical emergency). The final exam is not cumulative. Completion of CITI Training (3 points) (Due 9/16): Before engaging in human subjects research, researchers must first demonstrate their knowledge of ethical research methods and proper procedures when conducting research. To do this, they complete a test by the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative. In this class, you will also complete this test. Much more detailed information will be provided on how to access the test in class and on Webcampus. At the completion of the training, you will receive a certificate that needs to be uploaded to Webcampus to me to confirm that you completed the training. This can be a.pdf file,.jpeg, a computer screen shot, or even a photo that you take with your phone. This is due by midnight on 9/16. If you do not have a personal computer, the college of Liberal Arts has a computer lab on the 6 th floor of Ansari in room 610. Research Participation (2 points) (Due 9/30): As one component of your grade, you are required to participate in research-type activities. The total time required will be approximately 2-3 hours. The purpose of research component is to expose students to research and research methods. For example, if you choose to participate in a research study, you will receive a detailed debriefing form which will tell you what the researchers were studying and how the research was designed. You are required to earn three credits (called SRPCs). To complete the research component requirement, go to: http://www.unr.edu/cla/cjweb/3-undergrad_research_pool.html and follow the directions. This link should open up automatically (no password needed); if it doesn t, try cut and pasting the link into your browser window address bar. OR go to the UNR criminal justice department webpage, click on undergraduate and then click on undergraduate research pool information. Researchers will provide your professor with a list of participants at the end of the semester, so you do NOT have to tell your professor when you have completed the assignment. You will receive credit on Sona within 3 days of completing the assignment; please be patient.
If you have questions about signing up for studies on Sona, contact the Sona administrator socialscienceresearchsona.unr@gmail.com. If you have questions about getting credit for a study you completed, contact the researcher for that study. If you have general questions, please email: Dr. Monica Miller at mkmiller@unr.edu. The deadline for completing this component is September 30, 2014. It strongly advised that you do not wait until the last week. Participant Observation Assignment (10 points) (Due 11/4): You are required to engage in participant observation over the course of the semester (see Chapter 8 of Maxfield and Babbie for more information on this method). You should observe human interactions for a minimum of two hours and take detailed field notes that will be turned in with your assignment. Class time will be given on 10/7 and 10/28 to complete two one-hour observations. You should think about a specific type of interaction that would like to observe (e.g. ordering practices of customers at Starbucks, responses of employees to customers, interactions of parents with children, communication practices in groups, etc). The topic can be ANYTHING you would like and does not have to relate to criminal justice. Having a specific focus will make your write up much easier, rather than broadly examining human interactions in general. Just remember, you should only be observing, not interacting! Following these observations, you are required to submit a 4-5 page write up. This should include: a.) An introduction of what/who you observed, where you conducted your observations, how long you conducted your observations, etc. b.) Your findings- Did you notice any patterns in behaviors? Any outliers? c.) Conclusions- Why do you think people acted the way they did? Can we apply these conclusions more broadly? What issues do you think need to be studied further? What problems were you confronted with in collecting your data? Write up must be submitted to Webcampus by 11/4 at midnight. You can either copy and paste your field notes to your document that you upload or you can turn your field notes in to me during class the next class. Group Paper (10 points): In groups of 3-5, students will be designing a survey, collecting data, and briefly analyzing the data. Give the survey out to ~15 participants. It is advised not to give the survey out to more than this number, as you will likely want to transfer your data to Excel and this can get cumbersome with a large number of participants. We will discuss data collection more in class. Time will be given in class to work on survey design and writing up survey findings. The paper should be at least 3 pages long. The following should be included in your findings: -How you collected data -A description of what you found (just describe the data) -Why you think you found what you did -A copy of your survey; A copy of your data Group papers are due 12/10 at midnight. Only one person per group needs to upload it to Webcampus. Research Proposal (50 points) (Due 11/25): Students will be required to complete a 10-12 page research proposal (not including references, title page, charts, graphs, or appendices) due on November 25 th by midnight (Upload to Webcampus). This is just a proposal, so you are not actually going to complete this study. A detailed description of the research proposal is below.
Grades: Final grades will be based off of 120 points offered throughout the semester. Grades are as follows: Exam 1 15 points Completion of ethics training Exam 2 Exam 3 Group paper 15 points 15 points 10 points 3 points 2 points Research participation Participant observation 10 points Research proposal 50 points Grading Scale Letter Percent Letter Percent Letter Percent Grade Grade Grade A 94 or higher B+ 89 87 C+ 79 77 A- 93 90 B 86 84 C 76 70 B- 83 80 D 69 60 E 59 or below Communication: I will try to respond to all emails within 24 hours, although sometimes it may be a bit longer. Laptops/Cell phones: Laptops are NOT permitted in class. All other electronic devices should be on silent and should not be taken out during class. Statement of Academic Dishonesty: "Cheating, plagiarism or otherwise obtaining grades under false pretenses constitute academic dishonesty according to the code of this university. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and penalties can include canceling a student's enrollment without a grade, giving an F for the course or for the assignment. For more details, see the University of Nevada, Reno General Catalog. I will check all assignments for signs of plagiarism. You may also not submit any assignment that has been turned in for a previous class. Turning in a paper that you completed for a prior class, even if it is only a portion of the assignment, will result in a 0 for the assignment. Statement of Disability Services: "Any student with a disability needing academic adjustments or accommodations is requested to speak with me or the Disability Resource Center (Thompson Building, Suite 101) as soon as possible to arrange for appropriate accommodations." Statement for Academic Success Services "Your student fees cover usage of the Math Center (784-443 or www.unr.edu/mathcenter/ ), Tutoring Center (784-6801 or www.unr.edu/tutoring-center ), and University Writing Center (784-6030 or http://www.unr.edu/writing-center). These centers support your classroom learning; it is your responsibility to take advantage of their services." Statement on Audio and Video Recording Surreptitious or covert video-taping of class or unauthorized audio recording of class is prohibited by law and by Board of Regents policy. This class may be videotaped or audio recorded only with the written permission of the instructor. In order to accommodate students with disabilities, some students may have been given permission to record class lectures and discussions. Therefore, students should understand that their comments during class may be recorded.
Syllabus is subject to change. TENTATIVE READING AND CLASS SCHEDULE The major paper for this class is a research proposal of practical significance. Its planning, research, design, and drafting will be addressed during most weekly sessions in connection with the topics on research methods for that week. Discussion of the Research Proposal is identified in bold. WEEK 1 (8/26) Review Syllabus, Journal Articles, Final Papers. Discussion of hypotheses and Research Proposal questions. Chapter 1: Criminal Justice and Scientific Inquiry WEEK 2 (9/2): Chapter 2: Ethics and Criminal Justice Research Research question due- Upload question to Webcampus by Midnight WEEK 3 (9/9): Chapter 3: General Issues in Research Design. Issues for your Research Proposal. Review of CITI (you can bring a laptop if you want to begin the signup process; instructions are posted online for access) WEEK 4 (9/16): Chapter 4: Concepts, Operationalization, and Measurement. Application to Research Proposal. CITI (ethics training) due- Upload copy of completion certificate to Webcampus by Midnight WEEK 5 (9/23): Updates on your research proposal. Group discussion. Exam 1 WEEK 6 (9/30): Chapter 5: Experimental and Quasi Experimental Designs. Application to Research Proposals. Research Participation Due (9/30) (This will be emailed to me by researcher; you do not need to upload to Webcampus) WEEK 7 (10/7): Chapter 8: Field Research. Application to Research Proposals. Participant Observation Session 1 WEEK 8 (10/14): Chapter 6: Sampling Group Assignment- Discuss survey Include discussion of potential application to Research Proposals WEEK 9 (10/21): Chapter 7: Survey Research and other Ways of Asking Questions. Progress on your Research Proposal. Exam 2 review
WEEK 10 (10/28): Exam 2 Participant Observation Session 2. Potential application to Research Proposals. WEEK 11 (11/4): Article- Qualitative Interviewing (Posted on Webcampus) Submit Participant Observation Assignment to Webcampus by midnight WEEK 12 (11/11): No class- Veterans Day WEEK 13 (11/18): Chapter 9: Agency Records, Content Analysis, and Secondary Data. Application to Research Proposals. WEEK 14 (11/25): Library day (No Class) Upload research proposal to Webcampus by Midnight WEEK 15 (12/2): Chapter 10: Evaluation Research and Problem Analysis Group assignment (Bring findings from group assignment on 10/14 to class) WEEK 16 (12/9): Final Review Time to wrap up group assignment- Due 12/10 at midnight; Upload only one paper per group WEEK 17 (12/16): FINAL EXAM 7:30 pm-9:30 pm STUDENT RESEARCH PROJECT - DESIGN PROPOSAL (satisfying CO 14) Learning to design a research proposal is a core issue for this class and actually designing such a proposal is an exercise of practical significance for all criminal justice students. It will provide a solid foundation in research design and methodologies. Such knowledge is fundamental to criminal justice policies and procedures and to decision makers at the local, state, and federal level as well as to private sector actors in the justice system. Thus, the project will give students the opportunity to address questions that may impact the functioning of the criminal justice system and its agencies, and their purpose and goals. It will take class readings and discussions throughout the semester and bring them together in a coherent project. The research proposal will be integral to most topics of the course, so its development and drafting will be topics included in discussion for most weeks. Students must schedule an individual appointment with the course TA or the instructor to discuss why they selected their hypothesis and issues in designing their proposal. Class time will also be spent on critical considerations in design and the steps in drafting a quality proposal. Critical to any design are ethical considerations: typically research proposals are subject to institutional review and approval. Your project will be evaluated under criteria used in such institutional reviews. This is not a research paper that can be completed 'last minute;' rather, it is a project where you should show progression throughout the semester. Updating your progress will be an element of class discussion. Individual meetings will be discussed in the first weeks of the class.
Instructions: You will pick a criminal justice question and formulate a hypothesis. The question should be based on things you learned in past classes For instance, if you learned about gender differences in criminal behavior, you then you can design a study that tests whether there are gender differences in regard to the commission of a particular crime. The hypothesis does not necessarily have to be theoretically based, just based on common sense! Describe how you would test the hypothesis. You should tell what kind of design (experimental, quasi-experimental, etc.) you would use, why you would use this design, and what sampling procedures are used. Identify the variables and describe how you will define and measure the variables. Describe how you would address at least five methodological elements. Methodological elements include (but are not limited to): external validity, internal validity, construct validity, content validity, face validity, sampling procedure, assigning causality, validity/reliability in measurements of variables, operationalization, random assignment, Hawthorne effect, treatment integrity, diffusion of treatment, maturity, attrition. Make it clear that you know what the methodological element is (do NOT just copy the definition out of the text) and how it applies to your study. Remember that no study is perfect. There are natural limitations of every study that we will discussed in class. Note the weaknesses of your study as well as the strengths. The final paper should be 10-12 pages, not too long, not to short, but adequate to drafting a clear and concise proposal. Your grade will be based on: Clarity, conciseness, and ease of reading. Express your thoughts clearly. Don t ramble on or go on tangents. Make sure you know how what you are saying is applicable to the subject. Length not too long or short (10-12 pages, 12 pt font, double space) General writing quality (conformity to the rules of grammar and spelling, proper sentence and paragraph structure, etc.) How well you address each of the items in the outline (e.g., quality of definitions, ability to clearly describe hypothesis and variables) Elements of a Research Proposal: Outline of topics and (suggested length): 1. Introduction to the topic and purpose statement (1 page) 2. Literature Review (3-4 pages) a) discuss the background research on the topic and sources used b) describe how this research project builds on prior classes/knowledge 3. Research question and hypothesis and how it relates to the past literature (1-2 paragraphs) 4. Data Source/sampling and justification for your choice (1-2 paragraphs) 5. Explain your research design and why you chose that design (2-3 paragraphs) 6. Address particular ethical issues that will be confronted in your research and possible ethical dilemmas (1-2 paragraphs) 7. Unit of analysis used (1 paragraph) 8. Explain how you will define and measure Independent and Dependent variables (1-2 paragraphs) 9. Type of Measures (e.g., open ended questions?) justify your choices of measures (1-2 paragraphs) 10. Pick 5 of the following (2-3 paragraphs each): external validity, internal validity, construct validity, content validity, face validity, sampling procedure, assigning causality, validity/reliability in measurements of variables, operationalization, random assignment, Hawthorne effect, treatment integrity, diffusion of treatment, maturity, attrition. BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT YOUR 5 ELEMENTS ARE. For example underline or bold the words. For each of the 5 methodological elements: A. General definition of element. You can look at the book s definition, but use your own words and show you know what it means B. Definition applied to study
C. Tell whether each methodological element was a strength or weakness of this study and why. If weakness, tell what you would do in a perfect world to strengthen the study 11. Design an informed consent that details the risks/harms to the participants, benefits, and the voluntariness of the study; Include a discussion on the protection of subject confidentiality 12. Conclusion. What is the take home message of the study? Why has this been a project of practical application and significance? (1 page) Research Proposal Grading Rubric (50 points) Literature review presents a detailed overview of a criminal justice issue discussed in prior criminal justice courses; Discusses how the proposed research design will address gaps in the prior literature Research design is conducted in an ethical manner and weighs the benefits versus the harms of the study for the research participants; Consideration should be given to the protection of subjects in critical populations (e.g. juveniles, prisoners); Research design includes a discussion of deception and/or compensation of subjects Research design discusses the population of the study and how a sample will be derived ethically from the population; Consideration will be given to an appropriate number of subjects to participate in the project Informed consent should thoroughly detail the risks/harms to the participants, benefits, and the voluntariness of the study Discussion of the protection of subject confidentiality Research design/survey are structured appropriately to answer the research questions and address each of the research hypotheses 15 points 10 points 5 points 5 points 5 points 10 points