Research Methods for Criminal Justice 44.390

Research Methods in Criminal Justice   

Professor James Byrne

James_byrne@uml.edu

978-934-3992

Fall, 2014 office hours:

Tuesday & Thursday 12:30-1:30(by Appointment)

Course Description: This course has been designed to provide students with the “top ten” skills needed to conduct research both (quantitative and qualitative) on a wide range of criminology/criminal justice topics. Specific subject areas include: (1) how to conduct an evidence-based research review, (2) conceptualization and measurement issues in criminal justice, (3) how to design a randomized field experiment, (4) conducting quasi-experimental and non-experimental research-issues to consider; (5) an introduction to qualitative methods,(6) the nuts and bolts of survey research, and (7) ethical issues and dilemmas in criminal justice research.

Learning Objectives:

Students will learn the basics of research design and will be introduced to the major skill areas they will need to master as producers of criminal justice research, and/or as consumers of criminal justice research. They will also learn about the ethics of criminal justice research, and explore the links between research, policy, and practice. After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

1 Understand and explain, in depth, the relationship between theory, research and evaluation in the social sciences generally, and in criminal justice and criminology in particular;

2 Conceptualize, develop and justify a research or evaluation project;

3 Acquire and improve knowledge and skills that will allow students to effectively analyze criminal justice projects, interventions and policies;

4. Employ academic writing skills – Employing systematic research review techniques, and hone research presentation skills - Working independently, including gathering resources and written work -

Skill areas covered:

Skill Area 1: How to conduct evidence- based review of the research

Skill area 2: using (and abusing) meta-analysis

Skill area 3: how to design a research project

Skill area 4: operational definitions; using composite measures in C.J. research

Skill area 5: how to conduct a randomized field experiment

Skill area 6: design selection for quasi-experimental research

Skill area 7: how to design and collect surveys using samples (the nuts and bolts of survey design)

Skill area 8: interview techniques

Skill area 9: how to conduct a focus group

Skill area 10: how to interpret findings

Required Texts:

1. Maxfield, Michael and Earl Babbie (2015). Research Methods for Criminal Justice and Criminology, Seventh Edition. (Cengage Learning).
2. A variety of on-line reading assignments will be announced each week in class and they will be available on my  faculty webpage for this class http://faculty.uml.edu/jbyrne/44.590/syllabus.htm    , and  on the website of the Global Centre for Evidence-based Corrections and Sentencing at www.gcecs.edu.au .

Student Evaluation Criteria:

Midterm Exam: 25 points

Final Exam: 25 points

Research Proposal Development: 50 points based on the following:

      Assignment 1: Systematic research review( 10 points)

      Assignment 2: Proposed Research Design (10   points)

      Assignment 3:  Research Proposal (30 points)