Research Methods in Criminal Justice Week 4

Welcome to your fourth week in the course. Last week you were introduced to qualitative research methods. This method of research was developed to bridge a gap between quantitative studies and data that was more difficult to quantify. Qualitative analysis allows the researcher to delve deeper into an individual’s life and the stories of their experiences. This method is far more expansive then quantitative studies in that it provides the ability to investigate a broad range of topics and bring them together into a singular research plan. Qualitative researchers are skilled at aligning data retrieved from stories and emotions into the scientific realm. This method also allows the researcher to position them deeper into the study and in some circumstances be a part of the study itself. Critics of qualitative research may highlight the importance of the researchers' own bias or interpretation of data as elements that reduce the overall quality of the findings.

This week we examine the quantitative method. This is the first form of research inquiry in the social sciences that incorporated the scientific method. This initial foothold has provided a false narrative that it is the only form of academic research that incorporates scientific principles. Over time both qualitative and mixed methods approaches have gained appreciation and respect in the scientific community. A quantitative study fundamentally brings data to a numerical level. By translating all data into numbers it allows the researcher to statistically analyze the results. The use of statistics is integrally built into the research designs of all quantitative studies.

Your initial discussion this week requires that you provide an overview of quantitative research by providing answers to the four listed questions. You will need to detail the critical aspects of this research. You will also need to explain how these aspects assist researchers and students in evaluating data related to the field of criminal justice. You will also need to explain how these tenets assist in answering research questions and are applied to interpretations of findings in published studies. The second discussion question of the week requires that you detail the steps in designing a quantitative research plan. Your text provides a six-step process that must be followed in order to design a study that is scientifically sound. Once again you are required to answer three questions related to how these steps assist us in the evaluation of criminal justice data, the interpretation of published research and the application of these steps in providing answers to our research questions. Although being able to recall each of these steps is important it is far more important to understand how these steps are integrated into complete research design and how they assist in answering our research questions. Built into this paper is a discussion regarding threats to validity.

I have included some references listed below by a professor named Andy Field. He is world renown for his work with statistics and I would strongly suggest that anyone that may struggle with statistics and quantitative research seek out some of his material in order to better understand these concepts. Dr. Field is an unusual character, as you will immediately recognize by reviewing his material. He has a unique way of mixing his personal childhood interests in heavy metal music with quantitative analysis through commentary and humor. He has a variety of free materials both in his website as well as instructional videos. If nothing else it may provide you with a break from the mundane academic readings.

References and Source Documents

Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

Field, A. (2013). Discovering statistics using SPSS (4th ed.). London, England: Sage.

Field, A. (2015). Statistics Hell.

Field, A. (2015). μ –Tube.

Overview of Quantitative Methods

Quantitative methods have been the traditional hallmarks of scientific inquiry. From an early age, we are all aware of the mathematical rigors involved in quantitative analyses. In the discipline of criminal justice, researchers utilize a variety of statistical tools with which to analyze empirical data. The inferences and conclusions that are drawn from such quantitative techniques have provided for empirically-based public policy, increased professionalism in law enforcement, and the development of more effective rehabilitative tools within corrections. Were it not for quantitative methods, much of what we currently know about the world of criminal justice would not exist.

After reading the Worrall article and Chapter 8 of Creswell’s Research Design, identify and discuss the key tenets of quantitative research methods used in research in criminal justice:

What do you see as the most critical aspects of quantitative research methods?

How do these key tenets of quantitative research assist us when evaluating criminal justice data?

How do these key tenets contribute to successfully interpreting published research findings?

How would you apply these tenets to answer a criminal justice research question?

Research Methods in Criminal Justice Week 4 Welcome to your four...