CCCOnline LogoCourse Snapshot for CRJ236 - Criminal Justice Research Methods

The information listed below is subject to change. Please review the course syllabus within your online course at the start of class.

Course Competencies

The competencies you will demonstrate in this course are as follows:

  1. Define research; explain and apply research terms; describe the research process and the principle activities, skills and ethics associated with the research process.
  2. Explain the relationship between theory and research.
  3. Describe and compare the major quantitative and qualitative research methods in criminal justice and social research.
  4. Propose a research study and justify the theory as well as the methodological decisions, including sampling and measurement.
  5. Describe the importance of research ethics and integrate research ethics into the research process.
  6. Assess a published journal article that uses one of the primary research methods in the field.
  7. Construct an effective questionnaire that employs several types of survey questions.
  8. Construct an effective research proposal that will serve as the launching point for a research study(ies) developed in the course.

    <Learning concepts for this course are enchanced using modules, websites, and online discussions.

Module Outcomes Mapped to Competencies

Module 1
  Outcomes Competencies
1 Summarize various types of research and explain the scientific method in crime and justice research. A
2 Identify and outline the steps in the research process. A
3 Analyze the role of theory in crime and justice research. B
4 Explain the concepts and terminology used by researchers. A
5 Assess the importance of research ethics in the scientific community. E
6 Examine unethical research and write an essay analyzing ethical behaviors. E

 

Module 2
  Outcomes Competencies
1 Compare and contrast qualitative and quantitative research methods in criminal justice and social research. C
2 Describe how sampling is used in survey research and summarize appropriate types of sampling. D
3 Compare and contrast questionnaires vs. interviews and assess the validity of each research method. C
4 Explain the concepts and terminology used by researchers. A
5 Identify a research proposal topic. D,H

 

Module 3
  Outcomes Competencies
1 Compare and contrast participant observation and case study research methods. C
2 Analyze secondary data sources in crime and justice research methods. C
3 Identify and critique scholarly journals that publish research on crime and justice. F
4 Explain the concepts and terminology used by researchers. A
5 Identify appropriate research resources and write an annotated bibliography. D,H

 

Module 4
  Outcomes Competencies
1 Compare and contrast the issues of validity and reliability in research methods. C
2 Assess policy analysis and evaluation research methods. C
3 Create a survey questionnaire utilizing an appropriate scale of measurement. G
4 Explain the concepts and terminology used by researchers. A

 

Module 5
  Outcomes Competencies
1 Describe factors important to presenting crime and justice research. A
2 Assess appropriate methods of analyzing and presenting data. D
3 Write a research proposal. D, H
4 Explain the concepts and terminology used by researchers. A

Course Time Commitment and Expectations

For every credit hour, students should plan to spend an average of 2-3 hours per week for course-related activities in a 15-week course. For example, a 3 credit hour course would average an average 6-9 hours per week to read/listen to the online content, participate in discussion forums, complete assignments, and study the course material. For 10  and 6-week courses, the amount of time per week will be higher so all course competencies, module outcomes, and assignments will be covered.

Aside from typical reading assignments, this course has the following (Please Note: This list is subject to change based on the discretion of the instructor facilitating this course.) :

Summary of Grading
Assignment Points %
Academic Discussions (10 @ 25 points each) 250 25%
Written Assignments (4 @ 75 points each) 300 30%
Module Quizzes (5 @ 50 points each) 250 25%
Research Proposal Project -Includes the following 3 parts: 200 20%
*Proposal Topic Essay (1 @ 50 points) 50  
*Annotated Bibliography (1 @ 50 points) 50  
*Final Research Proposal Essay (1 @ 100 points) 100  
TOTAL 1000 100%

CCCOnline Course Quality Commitment

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