CJ 504 Research Methods in Criminal Justice I

This applied research methods course will provide an introduction to the basic methods, techniques, and procedures of social science research. Students will be guided through the inquiry process and will examine different research designs used by social scientists.  One of the primary aims of this course will be to provide students with a better understanding of the inquiry process and the strengths and weaknesses found in social science research.  Students will also examine the importance of ethics and decision making in research with human subjects. Through the process of inquiry students will develop a research question, operationalize the constructs, and use data to find answers to questions about criminal justice.  This class will also focus on how to use social science research to guide organizational change.  Research Methods I will focus primarily on quantitative methods, such as survey research, experiments, and using data and statistics to better understand criminal justice issues and policies. The course also addresses methods of inquiry, causality, sampling, research instrument design, data collection, coding, ethics, and some interpretation of statistics used for quantitative empirical research. Prerequisite: admission to the Graduate Certificate in Ethics and Leadership in Criminal Justice program. (3)