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CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESEARCH METHODS This course presents an overview of the research process. Its primary objective is to provide students sufficient fluency in statistics and research methodology to make appropriate use of scholarly journals in criminal justice and criminology. Students learn to frame research questions, formulate hypotheses, collect, analyze and display data, arrive at supportable conclusions and present their findings. Students are exposed to measurement issues and concepts, learn to use descriptive statistical techniques and are introduced to sampling and hypothesis testing. Required text Fitzgerald, Jack D. and Steven M. Cox. Research Methods and Statistics in Criminal Justice: An Introduction. 3rd ed. Wadsworth, 2001. Required calculator Beginning the second week students must bring an inexpensive, solar-powered calculator with no special functions except a square root key (available for $5-10). YES! ------ NO!
Cell phones and scientific or graphing calculators are not permitted while taking exams. Please bring the required calculator to every class session so that you can follow along with the instructor and participate in class exercises. Cell phones and laptops This class requires intensive participation and interaction with the instructor. Except students with disabilities, NO USE OF LAPTOPS OR ANY ELECTRONIC DEVICES IN CLASS. Cell phones are fine if kept on silent mode. If you need to make or answer a call please step outside. You may return when done. Why the rule? For an illustrated reason, click here. Special notice about exams and online materials The website has links to the PowerPoint slides used in class and supplemental materials. These, plus the text, class discussion and student presentations are all fair game for exams. Here's the best rule: if it's mentioned in class, it's important. There is no guarantee that the website will always be "up." Final versions of slide shows may not be posted until the day of class. Exams are prepared with those who come to class in mind. Neither an exam date nor grading will be adjusted because the website went down. Examinations Four exams covering concepts and statistics. Required non-scientific calculators must be used during exams. No cell phones or other gizmos - required calculators only! If illness keeps you from taking an exam on the scheduled date, please e-mail the instructor. Makeups must be taken during the next class session, of if the student is still ill, by the end of the week following the week during which the exam was given. Only ONE midterm exam can be "made up." Makeups are not allowed for the final. Students who have done well on the midterms but cannot take the final due to a bonafide emergency may, at the instructor's option, be allowed an "I"ncomplete. Each exam is a mandatory component of the course. To earn a grade higher than "F" every exam must be taken. Each student will be assigned to a team and participate in a group presentation. For instructions click here. Participating in a team and making a presentation on the scheduled date are required components of the course. Failure to do so will result in failure of the course and a term grade of "F". Grading 100 points can be earned: 20 for each exam and 20 for participating in a panel (10 for the presentation and 10 for the notecards.) At the end of the term grades will be assigned using the conventional scale (A=90, B=80, C=70, D=60, F=59 or lower) and curved as necessary to reflect class performance. Plus/minus grading is NOT used. Any instance of academic dishonesty, including plagiarism or cheating, will result in a grade of zero or "F" for that activity, and/or a term grade of "F", and/or referral to the Dean. It is the instructor's policy to grade from student ID numbers and to not change grades except for a computational error. Students who wish a good grade or plan to attend law school or graduate school are encouraged to work as hard as possible. Please do not ask for special consideration. Please note that for this course to count towards Criminal Justice degree requirements students must earn a grade of "C" or above. Note: Text Chps. 5, 6 and 12 are also assigned, to be read on your own. They apply throughout the semester. To read optional online material click on the week numbers with links. Also print out and begin studying the article used on the first exam (see below). Week 1 -- 1/25, 26, 27 -- Research process, concepts, variables -- Chps. 1, 3 (pp. 62-68) -- slide show Students will be e-mailed their journal articles. Please give them a first read before week 2. Week 2 -- 2/1, 2, 3 -- Research designs -- Chp. 3 (pp. 68-end) -- slide show Please become familiar with the research designs terminology on the website Week 3 -- 2/8, 9, 10 -- Journal articles, organizing the oral presentation -- Chap. 13 -- slide show Week 4 -- 2/15, 16, 17 -- Sampling -- Chp. 4 -- slide show Week 5 -- 2/22, 23 -- EXAM 1 (Weeks 1-4) -- 1 hr. 15 mis. time limit -- Note: this is a multiple-choice exam. All questions refer to "College Education and Police Job Performance: A Ten Year Study," By Truxillo, Bennett and Collins (Public Personnel Management, Summer 1998, vol. 27:2.) Please study this article well in advance and bring a copy with you to the test. It is available through the CSUF portal on ABI/Inform. For instructions on how to retrieve and print this article click here. Week 5 -- 2/23 (second half), 24 -- Measurement and central tendency -- Chap. 7 (pp. 144-158) -- slide show -- Homework -- Answers Week 6 -- 3/1, 2, 3 -- Variability -- Chap. 7 (pp. 159-167) -- slide show -- Homework -- Answers Week 7 -- 3/8, 9 (first half) -- EXAM 2 (Weeks 5-6) -- 1 hr. 15 mis. time limit -- you must bring an approved calculator -- Note: You may also take an abbreviated (10 question, 10 points) Exam 1-A, covering the same article as Exam 1. Points earned will be added to your Exam 1 score, to a combined max.of 20. If you wish to take this exam please bring a Scantron 882-E and a copy of the article. Week 7 -- 3/9 (second half), 3/10 -- Examining relationships between categorical variables -- Chp. 8 -- slide show -- Homework -- Answers Week 8 -- 3/15, 16 (first half) -- cont'd. Week 8 -- 3/16 (second half), 3/17 -- Examining relationships between continuous variables -- Chp. 9 -- slide show -- Homework -- Answers Week 9 -- 3/22, 23, 24 -- Cont'd Week 10 -- 3/29, 30, 31 -- SPRING BREAK Week 11 -- 4/5, 6 (first half) -- EXAM 3 (Weeks 7-9) -- 1 hr. 15 mis. time limit -- you must bring an approved calculator Slide shows for final part of semester Intro to inferential stat's Confidence intervals Difference between means (t) Chi-Square (X2) Other significance tests and reading tables Final exam preview Week 11 -- 4/6 (second half), 4/7 -- Introduction to inferential statistics -- Chap. 10, pp. 216-218 Week 12 -- 4/12, 13, 14 -- Estimating confidence intervals -- Chap. 10, pp. 230-236 -- Homework -- Answers Week 13 -- 4/19, 20, 21 -- Hypothesis and significance testing (Student's t) -- Chap. 11 (pp. 238-245) -- Homework -- Answers Week 14 -- 4/26, 4/27 (first half) -- TEAMS 1-4 MEET WITH INSTRUCTOR (no one else need attend). Please bring a copy of the article and a SINGLE flash drive that contains the entire PowerPoint presentation for all team members. Week 14 -- 4/27 (second half), 4/28 -- TEAMS 5-9 MEET WITH INSTRUCTOR (no one else need attend). Please bring a copy of the article and a SINGLE flash drive that contains the entire PowerPoint presentation for all team members. Week 15 -- 5/3, 4 (first half) -- Chi-Square -- Chap. 11 (pp. 251-3) -- Homework -- Answers -- PANELS 1, 2 PRESENT Week 15 -- 5/4 (second half), 5/5 -- cont'd -- -- PANELS 3, 4 PRESENT Week 16 -- 5/10, 11(first half) -- Correlation, logistic regression, ANOVA, interpreting tables -- Chap 11 (pp. 246-250, 253) -- PANELS 5, 6 PRESENT Week 16 -- 5/11 (second half), 5/12 -- Cont'd -- PANELS 7, 8, 9 PRESENT Week 17 -- Tues. 5/17 5:00 pm, Wed. 5/18 7:30 pm -- FINAL EXAM (weeks 11-16) -- you must bring an approved calculator -- Final Exam preview |
