Research Methods In Criminal Justice : An Introduction - 3rd edition

Summary: Formerly a Nelson Hall title, this comprehensive introduction to the basics of criminal justice research introduces simple research methodologies and gradually advances to more complicated ones. The text describes elementary descriptive and inferential statistics, demonstrates research techniques, and examines the various scientific perspectives used in research today. This approach encourages students to think critically about the research they will encounter in the ...show moreir studies as well as think about ways they can conduct their own research.

Benefits:

• Traditionally known for being concise and affordable, this paperback text covers the basics of research methods in a straight-forward, step-by-step approach.
• NEW! There is more on technology, including telephone and Web-based surveys, on-line data sources, and a thorough updating of Chapter 14 (Computers in Criminal Justice Research).
• NEW! Updated throughout, the authors have incorporated new topics where appropriate, including different kinds of language (Chp. 2), sharing results with subjects (Chp. 2), telephone and Internet surveys (Chp. 5), linear and non-linear relationships (Chp. 9), and the Internet and scientific research (Chp. 14).
• NEW! New coverage has been included on the critiques of scientific perspective (postmodernism) and the language of science.
• NEW! Where applicable, actual criminal justice research studies and data have been used in place of hypothetical examples, making the examples more believable and relevant to the course.
• NEW! World Wide Web-based exercises have been included with end-of-chapter exercises, encouraging students to expand their knowledge base beyond what is available to them in the text alone.
• NEW! Chapter 13 now references the A.P.A. (American Psychological Association) writing style, a popular and commonly-used style today.
• NEW! The Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Code of Ethics has replaced the previous edition's American Sociological Association Code of Ethics, found in Appendix F, focusing the content on criminal justice-related material.
• NEW! The latest news and research articles online, updated daily and spanning four years! InfoTrac College Edition is automatically packaged with every new student copy of this text. You and your students will have 4-months of free access to an easy-to-use online database of reliable, full-length articles (not abstracts) from hundreds of top academic journals and popular sources. Contact your Wadsworth/Thomson Learning representative for more information. Available to North American college and university students only. Journals subject to change.
• Includes more attention to statistical analysis than most research methods texts on the market, giving students exposure to statistical concepts, and making this text an ideal option for a combined methods/statistics course.
• Numerous examples and figures throughout the text help students conceptualize the material.
• Text pedagogy includes bold-faced terms within the text material and end-of-chapter activities, including "Review Questions" and "Exercises." Each is designed to improve student comprehension and enhance critical thinking skills.
• Includes expanded discussions in the areas of evaluation research, correlation and regression analysis, and the basic ideas underlying t- and one-way analysis of variance.
• NEW! Affordable and concise, this 356 page, 15 Chapter paperback continues to be a key resource for studying research methodologies.
• NEW! Qualitative research is now given more attention. The first chapter introduces the distinction between qualitative and quantitative research and will preview coverage of qualitative research, which is covered later in the text.
• NEW! Coverage of reliability and validity has been strengthened.
• NEW! Currency has been enhanced throughout. The Chapter 1 research illustration has been replaced by "An Evaluation of Pepper Spray" by Steven M. Edwards, John Gramfield, and Jamie Onner, a more up-to-date example, excerpted from the National Institute of Justice March 1997. There is more on technology, including telephone and web-based surveys, on-line data sources, and a thorough updating of Chapter 14 (Computers in Criminal Justice Research).

Edition/Copyright: 3RD 02
Cover: Paperback
Publisher: Wadsworth, Inc
Published: 08/23/2001

View Author Bio

Fitzgerald, Jack : Knox College

Cox, Steven : Western Illinois University

View Table of Contents

1. Research and Criminal Justice.
2. Perspectives and Research.
3. An Introduction to Research Methodology and Design.
4. Sampling.
5. Research Tools and Techniques: Survey Research Through Questionnaires and Interviews.
6. Research Tools and Techniques: Document Research, Physical Evidence, Observation, and Experimentation
7. An Introduction to Descriptive Statistics.
8. Descriptive Statistics: Examining Relationships Between Two or More Variables Through Cross-Tabulation.
9. Descriptive Statistics: Measuring Relationships Between Two or More Variables Through Regression and Correlation Analysis.
10. An Introduction to Inferential Statistics and Parameter Estimation.
11. Inferential Statistics: Hypothesis Testing.
12. Common Errors in Presenting and Interpreting Research Findings.
13. Preparing and Reading Research Reports.
14. Computers in Criminal Justice Research.
15. Conclusions.
Appendix A: Table of Random Numbers.
Appendix B: Areas under the Normal Curve.
Appendix C: Student's t Distributions Table.
Appendix D: F Distribution Tables.
Appendix E: Chi Square Table.
Appendix F: Code of Ethics of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.
Glossary.
Selected Readings.
Index.

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