CRJ570: Applied Research for Criminal Justice Professionals

CRJ570: Applied Research for Criminal Justice Professionals
Credit Hours:
3
Contact Hours:
This is a 3-credit course, offered in accelerated format. This means that 16 weeks of material is covered in 8 weeks. The exact number of hours per week that you can expect to spend on each course will vary based upon the weekly coursework, as well as your study style and preferences. You should plan to spend 10-25 hours per week in each course reading material, interacting on the discussion boards, writing papers, completing projects, and doing research.
Course Description and Outcomes
Course Description:
The course aims to develop students’ practical understanding of and experience in applying the most common research tools and techniques used by criminal justice organizations. Students will understand and be able to contextualize criminal behavior while also developing skills in using tools to plan for resource allocation within criminal justice agencies.
Course Overview:
This course presents an overview of empirical research methods and topics, including sampling, survey research methods, qualitative research, experimental design, measurement, and reliability and validity of measurement. This course provides an exploration of the basic methods for research in the social sciences, and more specifically, criminal justice. Students will become better informed of the strengths and weaknesses of various methodological designs. They also will gain valuable knowledge about the ethical, political, and administrative constraints in social science research.
Course Learning Outcomes:
1. Show knowledge of the main approaches to research in criminal justice and of the differences between qualitative and quantitative methods.
2. Assess and apply research concepts and their application in different research phases, with a focus on evaluation research.
3. Formulate appropriate research questions, employ appropriate methods and resources, and evaluate resources and conceptual frameworks with regard to exploring and developing research questions.
4. Evaluate the importance of ethical issues associated with criminal justice research.
5. Devise the appropriate research design to develop a systematic research proposal concerning a current criminal justice research question.
6. Demonstrate understanding of the use and interpretation of basic descriptive statistics.
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Participation & Attendance
Prompt and consistent attendance in your online courses is essential for your success at CSU-Global Campus. Failure to verify your attendance within the first 7 days of this course may result in your withdrawal. If for some reason you would like to drop a course, please contact your advisor.
Online classes have deadlines, assignments, and participation requirements just like on-campus classes. Budget your time carefully and keep an open line of communication with your instructor. If you are having technical problems, problems with your assignments, or other problems that are impeding your progress, let your instructor know as soon as possible.
Course Materials
Textbook Information is located in the CSU-Global Booklist on the Student Portal.
Course Schedule
The Academic Week at CSU-Global begins on Monday and ends the following Sunday.
• Discussion Boards: The original post must be completed by Thursday at 11:59 p.m. MT and Peer Responses posted by Sunday 11:59 p.m. MT. Late posts may not be awarded points.
• Critical Thinking: Assignments are due Sunday at 11:59 p.m. MT.
• Live Classroom: Although participation is not required, a Live Classroom session is held during Week 4.
Week #
Readings
Assignments
1
• Chapters 1, 2, & 3 in The Practice of Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice
• Aldred, R. (2008). Ethical and political issues in contemporary research relationships. Sociology, 42(5), 887-903.
• Green, J. (2010). Points of intersection between randomized experiments and quasi-experiments. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science March, 628(1), 97-111.
• Discussion (25 points)
• Critical Thinking (90 points)
2
• Chapter 4 in The Practice of Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice
• Felson, R. B., Teasdale, B., & Burchfield, K. B. (2008). The influence of being under the influence: Alcohol effects on adolescent violence. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 45(2), 119-141.
• Miller, H. V., Tillyer, R., & Miller, J. M. (2012). Recognizing the need for prisoner input in correctional research: Observations from an in-prison driving while intoxicated reduction program
• Discussion (25 points)
• Critical Thinking (90 points) SAMPLE
evaluation. The Prison Journal, 92(2), 274-289.
3
• Chapter 5 in The Practice of Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice
• Miller, K. M., Orellana, E. R., Johnson, A. B., Krase, K., & Anderson-Nath, B. (2013). Maternal criminal justice and child welfare involvement: Associations between risk exposures and childhood mental health. Social Work Research, 37(4), 402-414.
• Watkins, A. M., & Melde, C. (2007). The effect of self-control on unit and item nonresponse in an adolescent sample. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 44(3), 267-294.
• Discussion (25 points)
• Portfolio Project Deliverable (20 points toward final Portfolio Project grade)
4
• Chapters 6 & 7 in The Practice of Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice
• Hendricks, B., Werner, T., & Turinetti, G. J. (2006). Recidivism among spousal abusers: Predictions and program evaluation. Journal of Interpersonal Violence 21(6), 703-716.
• Murakawa, N., & Beckett, K. (2010). The penology of racial innocence: The erasure of racism in the study and practice of punishment. Law and Society Review, 43(4), 695-730.
• Discussion (25 points)
• Critical Thinking (90 points)
• Live Classroom (0 points)
5
• Chapter 9 in The Practice of Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice
• Faris, J., & Miller, J. (2010). Family matters: Perceptions of fairness among incarcerated women. The Prison Journal, 90(2), 139-160.
• Schwalbe, C. (2012). Toward an integrated theory of probation. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 39(2), 185-201.
• Discussion (25 points)
• Critical Thinking (90 points)
6
• Chapters 8, 10, & 12 in The Practice of Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice
• Eterno, J. A., & Silverman, E. B. (2010). The NYPD’s Compstat: Compare statistics or compose statistics. International Journal of Political Science and Management, 12(3), 426-449.
• Farrell, G., Tseloni, A., Mailley, J., & Tilley, N. (2008). The crime drop and the security hypothesis. British Society of Criminology Newsletter, (62), 17-21.
• Discussion (25 points)
• Critical Thinking (90 points)
7
• Chapter 13 in The Practice of Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice
• Guerette, R. T., & Bowers, K. J. (2009). Assessing the extent of crime displacement and diffusion of benefits. Criminology, 47(4), 1331-1368.
• Roth, A. (2010). Database-driven investigations: The promise–and peril–of using forensics to solve ‘no-suspect’ cases. Criminology and Public Policy, 9(2), 421-428.
• Discussion (25 points)
8
• Chapters 11 & 14 in The Practice of Research in
• Discussion (25 points) SAMPLE
Criminology and Criminal Justice
• Jones, J., & Connelly, M. (2012). Research and retrenchment: Integrating data and evaluation into today’s correctional environment. Corrections Today, 70-74.
• Klevens, J., Baker, C. K., Shelley, G. A., & Ingram, E. M. (2008). Exploring the links between components of coordinated community responses and their impact on contact with intimate partner violence services. Violence Against Women, 14(3), 346-358.
• Portfolio (350 points)
Assignment Details This course includes the following assignments/projects:
Module 1
CRITICAL THINKING ASSIGNMENT (90 points)
Choose one of the following two assignments to complete this week. Do not do both assignments. Identify your assignment choice in the title of your submission.
Option #1: Reviewing Research Articles
Go to the Sage Student Study Site for your text (http://www.sagepub.com/bachmanprccj5e/) > click on “North America” > click on “Students Resources” tab > click on “Journal Articles” tab > click on “Journal Article Matrix” link > click on “Bottcher” in the Author column.
Download Bottcher et al.’s article “Examining the effectiveness of boot camps: A randomized experiment with a long-term follow up.” Write a single-article review to address the following:
1. What is the significance of the topic?
2. Are the purpose and scope clear?
3. Is it clear that the article is addressing a gap in the literature?
4. Is the article analytical (theoretical, empirical, conceptual, philosophical)?
5. Are the conclusions valid?
Your paper should be well written, 2-3 pages in length, and conform to the CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements.
Option #2: Reviewing Published Research Projects
Read “The Philadelphia Foot Patrol Experiment: A randomized controlled trial of police patrol effectiveness in violent crime hotspots” (linked in the Module 1 folder) and answer the following questions:
1. Do the author’s assertions in the study have both logical and empirical support?
2. What was the methodology/research design used to conduct the study?
3. Would it be possible to replicate this study? If so, how?
4. What do you perceive are the limitations of the study?
5. How would you have done this study differently?
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Your paper should be well written, 2-3 pages in length, and conform to CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements.
Module 2
CRITICAL THINKING ASSIGNMENT (90 points)
Choose one of the following two assignments to complete this week. Do not do both assignments. Identify your assignment choice in the title of your submission.
Option #1: Defining the Research Concept: Bite Mark Comparison
Recently bite mark comparison validity has been questioned. For this assignment, please review the documents at the following website and article, and write a paper discussing whether bite mark analysis should still be considered a valid measure of evidence. Was the measurement conceptualized appropriately? Why or why not? Provide evidence. If you were to construct the measurements, how would it look?
Innocence Project (linked in the Module 2 folder)
3D imaging for bite mark analysis (linked in the Module 2 folder)
Your paper should be well written, 2-3 pages in length in addition to a cover page and references page, and conform to CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements.
Option #2:
Defining the Research Concept: Definitions and Myths (90 points)
To observe a concept empirically, the researcher must first define the concept (i.e., conceptualize the topic). In this assignment, you are asked to work with the concept of the link between homosexuality and child molestation by the following steps:
• Develop a brief definition of pedophilia.
• Based on this conceptualization, what circumstances constitute pedophilia?
• Describe a method of measurement that would be valid for a study of pedophilia (as you define it).
• Now go to the Web site at http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/faculty_sites/rainbow/html/facts_molestation.html
• Discuss some facts about pedophilia that you were previously unaware of or some myths you believed.
• Rewrite your definition of pedophilia based on your new knowledge.
• What additional circumstances constitute pedophilia based on your new conceptualization?
Your well-written, concise paper should meet the following requirements:
• Be 2-3 pages in length, not including cover and references pages
• Formatted according to the CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements
To support your responses, cite a minimum of two scholarly journal sources that are not provided in, or linked from, the course. The CSU-Global Library is a great place to find these scholarly sources.
Module 3
PORTFOLIO PROJECT MILESTONE: Statement of Research and Source List (worth 20 points toward Portfolio Project grade)
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Share with the instructor via email (or in whatever manner your instructor has requested) your statement of research interest along with the annotated citations of at least three academic research articles, formatted according to the CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements. The CSU-Global Library is a good place to find research articles.
Module 4
CRITICAL THINKING ASSIGNMENT (90 points)
Choose one of the following two assignments to complete this week. Do not do both assignments. Identify your assignment choice in the title of your submission.
Option #1: Identifying Research Causation, Experiments, and Internal and External Validity
DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) is a very popular program. However, there has not been scientific evidence to prove its effectiveness. Develop a PowerPoint Presentation that describes an experimental design to test the hypothesis that DARE reduces drug use. Is your design feasible? Please make sure to consider the elements of a classical experimental design and internal and external validity issues.
Your presentation should be well written, 8-10 slides in length in addition to a cover slide and references slide, and conform to CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements.
Option #2: Validity Threats and Experimental Design
Crime hot spots are areas where crime is especially prevalent. Police departments with adequate tools can identify the hot spots and develop strategies to reduce crime in those areas. Write a paper that answers the following questions: What kinds of validity threats would researchers investigate in studying the effects of police interventions on hot spots? In considering the elements of a classical experimental design, how would you design a study to investigate this?
Your paper should be well written, 2-3 pages in length in addition to a cover page and references page, and conform to CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements.
Module 5
CRITICAL THINKING ASSIGNMENT (90 points)
Choose one of the following two assignments to complete this week. Do not do both assignments. Identify your assignment choice in the title of your submission.
Option #1: Qualitative Research
As a researcher, you would like to develop an in-depth understanding of the daily lives of inmates in prison. To investigate this, you want to conduct qualitative interviews with inmates. What would be the advantages and disadvantages of phone or face-to-face interviews? Would a structured or non-structured interview be most beneficial? Is this study feasible? What would be the limitations? What are the ethical issues? Would you be able to establish rapport with the inmates in order to obtain quality data? Write a paper that describes your plan for qualitative research and answers the questions above.
Your paper should be well written, 3-4 pages in length in addition to a cover page and references page, and conform to the CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements.
Option #2: Qualitative Research
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Create a PowerPoint presentation in which you develop a proposal to determine the amount of illegal drug use on the campus of the university you attend. You are to utilize one of three methods to examine this. The three methods are interviews, focus groups, or participant observation. Explain how you would design a field research project to obtain the most valid results. What would be the limitations of the study? What ethical issues may arise? Are there validity issues? How would you increase reliability in your field research regarding illegal drug use on campus?
The PowerPoint Presentation should be 8-10 slides in length, in addition to cover and references slides, and conform to the CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements.
Module 6
CRITICAL THINKING ASSIGNMENT (90 points)
Choose one of the following two assignments to complete this week. Do not do both assignments. Identify your assignment choice in the title of your submission.
Option #1: Finding and Analyzing Data: Crime in the United States
Please review the FBI website, http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s, which provides data from the Uniform Crime Reports. For the purpose of this assignment, you will want to compare the rates of violent crime and property crime in the city in which you reside, or the nearest metropolitan area, at three points: 2007, 2011, and 2014. Do the data measure what they intend to measure? Are the data reliable? What is the unit of analysis? Have the crime rates risen or fallen in any of the categories? Why do they think crime has risen or fallen?
Write a paper comparing and analyzing the data. Your paper should be well written, 2-3 pages in length in addition to a cover page and references page, and conform to CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements.
Option #2: Finding and Analyzing Data: Criminal Victimization
Read the report at: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv11.pdf
The information in the above report is based on data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ (BJS) National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). Using the latest NCVS data, determine and explain if the trend data they compiled using the Crime in the United States website are consistent or contrary to the data presented by the NCVS. What is the unit of analysis? How can you determine if the data is reliable and valid?
Your paper should be well written, 2-3 pages in length in addition to a cover page and references page, and conform to CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements.
Module 8
PORTFOLIO PROJECT: Research Proposal (350 points)
For your Portfolio Project, you will be writing a research proposal. Based on the project that you have discussed this semester in the Discussion Board (starting in Week 2), identify the problem you propose to investigate. Describe the importance of the problem. Discuss the decisions that need to be made to address the problem and what information is needed to make those decisions.
Identify the key points established in the literature about your problem. Describe the various perspectives the literature provides.
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Discuss the stakeholders who would be interested in the results of your research and what perspectives and interests they would be bringing.
Identify the most credible solutions to the problem you have established based on literature. Do you find the literature limiting?
Your paper should be 6-8 pages in length, in addition to a cover page and references page. The assignment should include five academic peer-reviewed journal articles. The CSU Global Library is a good place to search for scholarly sources. Formatting should be per CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements.
Course Policies
Course Grading
20% Discussion Participation 45% Critical Thinking Activities 35% Final Portfolio Project Paper
0% Live Classroom
Grading Scale and Policies
A
95.0 – 100
A-
90.0 – 94.9
B+
86.7 – 89.9
B
83.3 – 86.6
B-
80.0 – 83.2
C+
75.0 – 79.9
C
70.0 – 74.9
D
60.0 – 69.9
F
59.9 or below
In-Classroom Policies
For information on late work and incomplete grade policies, please refer to our In-Classroom Student Policies and Guidelines or the Academic Catalog for comprehensive documentation of CSU-Global institutional policies.
Academic Integrity
Students must assume responsibility for maintaining honesty in all work submitted for credit and in any other work designated by the instructor of the course. Academic dishonesty includes cheating, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty, plagiarism, reusing /re-purposing your own work (see CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements for percentage of repurposed work that can be used in an assignment), unauthorized possession of academic materials, and unauthorized collaboration. The CSU-Global Library provides information on how students can avoid plagiarism by understanding what it is and how to use the Library and Internet resources.
Citing Sources with APA Style
All students are expected to follow the CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements when citing in APA (based on the APA Style Manual, 6th edition) for all assignments. For details on CSU-Global APA style, please review the APA resources within the CSU-Global Library under the “APA Guide & Resources” link. A link to this document should also be provided within most assignment descriptions on your course’s Assignments page.
Disability Services Statement
CSU–Global is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all persons with disabilities. Any student with a documented disability requesting academic accommodations should contact the Disability Resource SAMPLE
Coordinator at 720-279-0650 and/or email ada@CSUGlobal.edu for additional information to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities.
Netiquette
Respect the diversity of opinions among the instructor and classmates and engage with them in a courteous, respectful, and professional manner. All posts and classroom communication must be conducted in accordance with the student code of conduct. Think before you push the Send button. Did you say just what you meant? How will the person on the other end read the words?
Maintain an environment free of harassment, stalking, threats, abuse, insults or humiliation toward the instructor and classmates. This includes, but is not limited to, demeaning written or oral comments of an ethnic, religious, age, disability, sexist (or sexual orientation), or racist nature; and the unwanted sexual advances or intimidations by email, or on discussion boards and other postings within or connected to the online classroom.
If you have concerns about something that has been said, please let your instructor know.
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