Survey of Research Methods in Criminal Justice I

CRJ

70200

Survey of Research Methods in Criminal Justice I

This two course sequence is an introduction to the methodology of social sciences. In the first course our [Its] main purpose is to survey the major research designs and research techniques that are at the core of contemporary approaches used to study social phenomena. We will begin with the question of why and how we do social research. Then we will study the issues of research design and the systematic nature of data collection that leads to data that can be trusted. The research strategies used by criminologists are extraordinarily diverse, which is fitting given the extraordinary diversity of the research questions criminologists pursue, and the course will also attempt to provide some appreciation of this diversity. We will explore several research designs and methods, including survey research, experiments, historical analysis, participant observation, in-depth interviews, focus group studies. In addition, we will address topics germane to the research enterprise including: ethical considerations in research, and how to conduct mixed-methods research, write research proposals and publish research findings.Importantly: This course is most emphatically not intended as a substitute for the more specialized methodological training that successful dissertations demand. However, to be a discerning scholar implies being able to learn from work that you have not done and would not yourself do, to recognize quality answers to substantive questions outside of your own niche of specialization, and to discuss intelligently the implications of new discoveries for the field as a whole. Therefore the focus of this course is on developing your insights into the implications of methodological choices, your constructively critical thinking about diverse methodologies, and your confidence in your ability to discuss, evaluate and learn from work of many types. This course cannot and will not try to 'teach you all you need to know' about methods, but aims instead to increase your ability to continually practice (and so develop) informed judgment about methodology.Learning objectives: The objective of this course is to achieve the following inter-related goals:· Learn how to ask criminological research questions that can be answered· Design and write a research proposal· Identify a variety of criminological methods and determine which methods might best answer certain research questions.

Offer as needed

Graduate School Graduate

No

030867