CJ490 Research Methods In Criminal Justice Unit 1 Worksheets

Cj490 Research Methods In Criminal Justiceunit 1 Worksheetstudent Nam

Cj490: Research Methods in Criminal Justice Unit 1 Worksheet Student Name: _______________________________________________________ After completing the course activities, answer the four following questions with words each. Cite your work using APA as needed. Provide your full source references at the end of worksheet. 1. Identify and describe the four purposes of research in criminal justice. 2. Provide a basic criminal justice example for each of the 4 purposes of research identified in question 1 above (it may be easier to provide a separate example for each purpose). 3. Explain the relationship among the 4 purposes of research? Can some purposes stand on their own? 4. A Chief of Police has started a task force to identify the location of the highest crime areas. Based on the 4 purposes of research, determine the best research purpose(s) for this project. Explain your reasoning.

Paper For Above instruction

Research is a fundamental component of criminal justice as it provides evidence-based insights that inform policy, practice, and theory. The purposes of research in criminal justice serve to guide investigations and the application of findings to enhance the effectiveness of criminal justice systems. These purposes can generally be categorized into four main areas: descriptive, diagnostic, evaluative, and predictive research.

1. The Four Purposes of Research in Criminal Justice

The first purpose, descriptive research, aims to systematically describe characteristics of populations, systems, or phenomena related to crime and justice. It answers questions of who, what, where, when, and how, providing a detailed picture of criminal behavior, law enforcement activities, or correctional practices. For example, conducting surveys to establish the demographics of offenders in a particular region illustrates descriptive research.

The second purpose, diagnostic research, seeks to identify causes and correlations within criminal justice processes. It aims to understand why certain phenomena occur, such as the factors contributing to recidivism. For instance, a study analyzing the psychological and social factors driving repeat offenses would exemplify diagnostic research.

The third purpose, evaluative research, focuses on assessing the effectiveness of policies, programs, or interventions within the criminal justice system. It involves measuring outcomes to determine whether specific initiatives, like community policing or rehabilitation programs, achieve their intended goals. An example includes evaluating the impact of a drug court program on offender reentry success.

The fourth purpose, predictive research, aims to forecast future trends and behaviors, enabling proactive strategies. Prediction is crucial in crime prevention and resource allocation. For example, using crime data to identify hotspots for targeted policing exemplifies predictive research.

2. Criminal Justice Examples for Each Purpose

For descriptive research, an example would be conducting a survey to determine the prevalence of cybercrime among teenagers in a city.

A diagnostic research example would be analyzing the environmental, social, and psychological factors behind juvenile delinquency in urban areas.

Evaluative research could involve assessing the impact of a new body camera policy on police officer conduct and community relations.

Predictive research might include developing a model to forecast crime spikes during holiday seasons based on historical data.

3. Relationship Among the Four Purposes and Stand-Alone Nature

The four purposes of research are interconnected; descriptive research often provides the foundation for diagnostic studies, which can then lead to evaluative research. Predictive research builds upon the data generated by descriptive and diagnostic work to forecast future trends. While each purpose has its distinct focus, they are often used in sequence or combination to inform comprehensive criminal justice strategies. However, some purposes, such as descriptive and evaluative research, can stand alone when the goals are solely to understand current conditions or assess specific programs, respectively.

4. Research Purpose for Crime Hotspot Identification

In the case of identifying the location of the highest crime areas, the primary research purpose would be descriptive, as it involves systematically mapping and describing where crimes are most frequent. Additionally, predictive research could supplement this by analyzing patterns and forecasting future hotspots. The descriptive approach helps provide a clear understanding of current high-crime areas, which is essential for deploying resources effectively. Combining both purposes ensures the task force can not only identify existing problem areas but also anticipate where crimes might emerge, enabling proactive policing strategies.

References

• Bittner, E. (1967). Criminal behavior as a social definition. American Sociological Review, 32(4), 587-599.
• Farrington, D. P. (2003). Developmental and life-course criminology: Key readings. Routledge.
• Maxfield, M. G., & Babbie, E. (2014). Research methods for criminal justice and criminology. Cengage Learning.
• Rafter, N. H. (2007). Shots in the mirror: Crime films and society. Oxford University Press.
• Shoemaker, R. (2006). Theories of criminal behavior. Pearson Education.
• Siegel, L. J. (2018). Criminology: The core. Cengage Learning.
• Trapasso, M. , & Fraser, M. (2011). Crime prevention and problem-oriented policing. Routledge.
• Turk, A. (1969). Criminality and human rights. Law & Society Review, 3(1), 63-78.
• Wright, J. P., & Decker, S. H. (1997). Burglars on the job: Improvising crime and controlling risk. Pine Forge Press.
• Zimring, F. E., & Hawkins, G. (1997). The scale of community violence. Crime and Justice, 23, 89-169.