CJ 526 Statistical Analysis

Research methods and statistics

Assumptions

1. there is order in nature

2. every event has an explanation

3. we will never know everything

Terminology

Variable: any trait or characteristic which can take on a range of values

Hypothesis: Question or statement about the relationship between two or more variables i.e., is there a relationship between number of police on the streets and the crime rate?

Terms

Independent variable (IV): a variable thought to have an effect

Dependent variable (DV): affected variable

Terms

Units of analysis: units observed and described to create summary descriptions of all units and to explain differences among themIndividualsGroups (i.e., families, gangs)Organizations (police departments)Social artifacts (traffic accidents, court cases, prison riots)

Terms

Theory: an explanation that systematically organizes observations and hypotheses

Basic vs. Applied Research

Basic--why questions; Applied--solve problems

Cross-sectional vs. Longitudinal Research

Experimental vs. Ex Post Facto Research

Types of research methods

Experiments (manipulation and control)

Surveys (written and interviews)

Field or observational research

Record or archival research (content analysis, secondary analysis)

Case study

Evaluation research

Choosing a research problem

Reviewing the literature: abstracts and journals, books, collected readings, computer searches (NCJRS), CD ROMS, and the internet

Conceptualization of variables, hypotheses, questions

Steps in research

Selecting how to measure variables (operationalization)

Selecting subjects for the study: population and sample

Method: making observations and measurements

Data processing and analysis

Steps in research (continued)

Interpreting the results and their applications