Research Methods for Criminology and Criminal Justice

by Dantzker; Hunter

• ISBN13: 9780750699518
• ISBN10: 0750699515
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-02-03
• Publisher: Elsevier Science

Summary

Research should be enjoyable - whether it is a college student completing a project for a degree or a professor meeting requirements or expectations associated with his or her position. Learning the basics for conducting research is the first step. This text is a reader-friendly primer which has as its strength the facility to positively and gently ease the reader into the task of conducting research. Each chapter begins with a vignette, describing a hypothetical situation in which students might find themselves. By chapter's end, students should be equipped with the knowledge on how to address the confusion or problem presented in the appropriate scenario. Another pedagogical tool is the Methodological Link which refers to excerpts from actual criminal justice and criminological research, the full text which is available in a companion text Readings for Research Methods in Criminology and Criminal Justice. Each chapter also ends with Methodological Queries, questions and exercises requiring students to apply what has been learned.

Author Biography

M.L. Dantzker is an Associate Professor and Director of the Graduate Program for the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Texas-Pan American. The author earned his Ph.D. in Administration from the Institute of Urban Studies at the University of Texas, Arlington. Ronald D. Hunter is an Associate Professor of Criminology at the State University of West Georgia. He received his Ph.D. in Criminology, holds a M.A. in both Public Administration and Social Science, and a B.A. in Criminology. Prior to entering academia, Dr. Hunter was a Sergeant with the Tallahassee, Florida Police Department, where he held a variety of supervisory positions within patrol, administrative services, and criminal investigations. In addition to being the Municipal Judge for the city of Cave Spring, Georgia, he is currently an Associate Editor of the American Journal of Criminal Justice and of the Journal of Security Administration.

Table of Contents

Preface	vii
Acknowledgments	xi
PART I Purpose of Research	1	(38)
Research: What, Why, and How	3	(20)
Research Ethics	23	(16)
PART II Problem Formulation	39	(32)
Getting Started	41	(16)
The Language of Research	57	(14)
PART III Research Design	71	(44)
Qualitative Research	73	(14)
Quantitative Research	87	(16)
Research Designs	103	(12)
PART IV Data Collection	115	(54)
Questionnaire Construction	117	(18)
Sampling	135	(16)
Data Collection	151	(18)
PART V Data Analysis	169	(66)
Data Processing and Analysis	171	(22)
Inferential Statistics	193	(16)
Writing the Research	209	(26)
PART VI Closure	235	(28)
Summing Up	237	(26)
Index	263