2nd Edition

Criminal Justice Research Methods Theory and Practice, Second Edition

By Gerald J. Bayens, Cliff Roberson Copyright 2010
    300 Pages 44 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    300 Pages
    by Routledge

    The study of research methodologies can be daunting to many students due to complex terminology, mathematical formulas, and lack of practical examples. Now in its second edition, Criminal Justice Research Methods: Theory and Practice offers a straightforward, easy-to-understand text that clarifies this complex subject matter, keeping perplexing research language and associated complexities to a minimum and ensuring that students get a practical grasp of this essential topic.

    The authors discuss scientific inquiry, establishing a framework for thinking about and understanding the nature of research. They examine various types of research methods in the broad categories of quantitative, qualitative, and evaluation designs and provide coverage of analytical and experimental research designs. The book also examines survey methods, survey instruments, and questionnaires, including wording, organization, and pretesting. It describes the fundamental characteristics of the qualitative approach, setting the stage for an in-depth discussion of the participant observation and case study methods of research. Other topics include ethical standards of conduct, topic selection, literature review, and guidelines for writing a research report or grand proposal. The second edition features updated examples, reworked exercises, additional discussion points, and new research-in-action sections.

    Defining a clear approach to the study of research, the book enables student experiencing their initial exposure to this subject to be fundamentally prepared to be proficient researchers in criminal justice and criminology.

    Introduction to Research
    Nature of Criminal Justice Research
    What Is Research?
    Research Processes
    Pure Versus Applied Research
    Scientific Inquiry
    Assessing Goodness of Theory
    Constructing Scientific Theories
    Research Hypotheses
    Research Design
    What Is Research Design?
    Types of Research Designs
    Research Purposes
    Choice of Research Design
    Levels of Measurement
    Validity and Reliability
    Statistics in Research
    Role of Statistics
    Basic Principles and Conventions
    Descriptive Statistics
    Data Grouping
    Inferential Statistics
    Measures, Validity, and Reliability
    Measurement
    Variables
    Indexes and Scales
    Validity and Reliability
    Analytical and Experimental Research
    Analytical Research
    Experimental Research
    Survey Research Methods and Sampling
    Introduction
    Purposes of Survey Research
    Types of Survey Research
    In-Person Interviews
    Telephone Survey
    Using Computers in Survey Research
    Mail Surveys
    Designing Questionnaires
    Comparison of Types of Survey Research
    Sampling
    Participant Observation and Case Studies
    Characteristics of Qualitative Research
    Qualitative Research Strategies
    Participant Observation
    Features of Observation
    Case Studies
    Descriptive, Historical, and Archival Data Analyses
    Descriptive Research
    Historical Research
    Archival or Document Research
    Replication of Previous Research
    Locating Documents
    Reviewing Related Literature
    Ethics in Research
    Academy of Criminal Justice Science (ACJS) Code of
    Ethics
    Neutral and Impartial Research
    Research Involving Humans
    Analysis and Reporting
    American Association for Public Opinion Research
    (AAPOR) Code of Ethics
    Developing Research Plans
    Topic Selection
    Refining Topic and Narrowing Focus of Research
    Literature Review
    Writing Research Reports
    When to Begin Writing
    Preparatory Tips
    Components of Report
    Program Evaluation and Policy Research
    Defining Evaluation Research
    Purposes of Program Evaluation
    Categories of Program Evaluation Research
    Choosing a Program Evaluation
    Policy Research
    Policy Research Planning
    Policy Research Reporting
    Writing Research and Grant Proposals
    Getting Started
    Building a Blueprint
    Overview of Proposal Process
    Recommended Steps for Obtaining State And Federal
    Funding
    Bases for Rejection
    Selection Criteria
    Peer Review
    Project Termination

    Biography

    Gerald J. Bayens, Cliff Roberson