Research Methods for Criminology and Criminal Justice by Hartley, Richard D.; Ellis, Lee; Walsh, Anthony;

Long description:

The second edition of Research Methods for Criminology and Criminal Justice is a core text for criminology and criminal justice research methods courses. This text offers a general foundation of knowledge that transcends particular topics or subject areas, allowing students to apply the methods and concepts discussed to a multitude of scenarios. Within the first five chapters, students learn (a) the philosophy behind scientific research, (b) the role of theory and hypotheses in the research process, (c) ethical issues in conducting research in our field, and (d) how research reports are structured. Thereafter, each new chapter will add information and examples that help students move toward a further understanding of research design and methodology that can be applied across the social and behavioral sciences to better understand social phenomena.

Table of Contents:

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Chapter 1 - The Scientific Method and Criminology and Criminal Justice as Social Sciences
Learning to Become a Researcher
Circumscribing Criminology and Criminal Justice
Circumscribing the Social Sciences
The Near Social Sciences
Other Disciplines that Utilize Social Science Research Methods
Two Special Disciplines Linked to Social Science
Features of the Scientific Method
The Scientific Spirit
Types of Issues Addressed by Social Scientists
Summary
Chapter 2 - Formulating Scientific Questions and Locating Background Research
The Nature of Scientific Variables
Conceptual Versus Operational Definitions of Variables
Levels of Measurement
Formulating and Refining Scientific Questions
Locating Information on Topics of Interest
Distinctiveness of Scientific Communication
How Scientific Research Gets Reviewed and Sometimes Published
Summary
Chapter 3 - Ethical Issues in the Social Sciences
Responsibilities to Participants of Research
Deceiving or Causing Harm to Human Participants
Obtaining Institutional Approval for Conducting Research
Responsibilities to Fellow Social and Behavioral Scientists
Ethics in Criminology and Criminal Justice Research
Responsibilities to Humanity
Summary
Chapter 4 - Theories, Models, Hypotheses, and Empirical Reality
The Concept of Causation
The Nature of Scientific Theorizing
Assessing the Merit of a Theory
The Role of Theory in the Research Process
Scientific Models, Laws, and Paradigms
Hypothesis Testing and Attempts to Generalize
The Null Hypothesis and Type I and Type II Errors
Summary
Chapter 5 - The Concepts of Reliability, Validity, and Precision in Measurement
Using the Concept of Correlation to Discuss Measurement Accuracy
Three Elements of Accurate Measurement
Reliability
Validity
Precision
Using Factor Analysis to Refine Measurement Accuracy
Some Closing Remarks about Reliability, Validity, and Precision
Summary
Chapter 6 - Surveying and Sampling
The Nature of Scientific Surveys
Basic Terminology
Representative Versus Non-representative Samples
Probability Versus Non-Probability Sampling Methods
Sample Size
Surveying Over Time
Serving as a Respondent to a Research Questionnaires
Assessing Sample Attrition, its Extent and Causes
Computer-Assisted Interviewing
Limiting Sample Attrition
Inaccuracies in Self-Reports
Techniques for Minimizing and Detecting Dishonesty
Summary
Chapter 7 - Measuring Crime and Criminality
Measuring Crime and Criminal Behavior
The Uniform Crime Reports: Counting Crime Officially
NIBRS: The ""New and Improved"" UCR
Crime Victimization Survey Data
Self-Reported Crime Surveys
Measuring Criminal Propensity: Moving from Crime to Criminality
Summary
Chapter 8 - Controlled Experimentation
Basic Experimental Terminology
Main Types of Experimental Designs
Pitfalls with Human Experimentation
Shortcomings of Experimental Research
Summary
Chapter 9 - Quasi-Experimentation
Quasi-Experiments Compared to Controlled Experiments
Quasi-Experimental Designs in the Narrower Sense
Quasi-Experimental Designs in the Broader Sense
Quasi-Experimental Designs for Addressing Nature-Nurture Issues
Summary
Chapter 10 - Data Based on Self-Reports: Guidelines for Constructing Questionnaires
Basic Terminology
Advantages and Disadvantages of Data Based on Self-Reports
Response Options for Questions
Deciding Which Response Options to Use
Types of Self-Reported Items
Guidelines for Item Construction
Types of Questions to Avoid
Combining Two or More Items to Improve Reliability
Time Diaries: A Special Type of Questionnaire
Computerized Questionnaires and Use of the Internet
Final Comments on Questionnaire Data
Summary
Chapter 11 - Direct Observations: Qualitative and Quantitative Data
Qualitative Direct Observations
Participant Observations
Ethnographic Observations
Case Studies
Focus Group Research
Archaeological Data
Procedures in Ethnographic/Participant Observation Data Collection
Quantitative Direct Observations
Laboratory/Clinical Observations
Field Research
Direct Observations among Non-Human Animals
Content Analysis
Closing Comments on Direct Observation
Summary
Chapter 12 - Archival Data Analysis, Meta-Analysis, and Evaluation Research
Units of Analysis
Archival Data
Analyzing Cross-Cultural Atlases
Review Articles and Meta-Analyses
Conceptualizing Evaluation Research
Process and Impact Evaluation Research
History of Evaluation Research
Locating Reports of Evaluation Research
Program Evaluation: Doing it Right
Summary
Chapter 13 - Univariate Statistics and the Concept of Statistical Significance
The Nature of Univariate Statistical Concepts
Measures of Central Tendency
Measures of Dispersion
Illustrating the Concepts of Averages and Dispersions
Building the Concept of Statistical Significance
Hypothesis Testing and the Concept of the Null Hypothesis
Inferential Statistics
Closing Remarks About Statistical Significance and Inferential Statistics
Summary
Chapter 14 - Bi/Multivariate Statistics: The Concept of Correlation
Background for Bivariate Statistics
Constructing Scattergrams
Curvilenear Versus Linear Correlations
Interpreting Statements about the Strength of Correlations
Variability and Correlations
The Statistical Significance of Correlation Coefficients
Interpreting Two Studies Based on Correlation
Reflections on the Importance of Statistics in the Research Process
Multivariate Statistics: When Bivariate Statistics Are Not Enough
Closing Comments on Multivariate Statistics Summary