Criminological Research Methods
Final Exam
Course Introduction
Criminological Research Methods introduces students to the foundational principles and techniques used to investigate crime, criminal behavior, and the functioning of the criminal justice system. The course covers both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, including survey design, interviews, field observations, content analysis, and the use of statistical tools. Students learn how to critically evaluate research literature, develop research questions, design studies, collect and analyze data, and interpret findings within ethical frameworks. Through practical exercises and case studies, this course equips students with the skills needed to conduct independent criminological research and apply evidence-based approaches to policy and practice.
Recommended Textbook
Basics of Research Methods for Criminal Justice and Criminology 3rd Edition by Michael G. Maxfield
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11 Chapters
602 Verified Questions
602 Flashcards
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Chapter 1: Criminal Justice and Scientific Inquiry
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53 Verified Questions
53 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Determining whether a program designed to reduce burglary actually had the intended effect is an example of _____.
A)explanation
B)evaluation
C)application
D)research
Answer: B
Q2) Reporting why some people believe that police are doing a good job while other people do not is an example of _____.
A)explanatory research
B)idiographic explanation
C)singular explanation
D)application research
Answer: A
Q3) ___________ is the final stage of the research process.
Answer: Application
Q4) Illogical reasoning occurs if you choose to follow the exception that proves the ________.
Answer: rule
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Chapter 2: Ethics and Criminal Justice Research
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55 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Non-Government organizations that conduct research involving human subjects need not establish review committees known as institutional review boards.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) The researcher can lessen the potential for harm when doing research by _____.
A)putting themselves in the line of danger to avoid harm to the participant
B)never telling the subject about the potential of harm
C)using field studies as the main source of research
D)considering which study design to use with regard to its potential for harm
Answer: D
Q3) Which of the following are not exempt from IRB review under federal guidelines?
A)research involving the analysis of existing data
B)research involving the use of educational tests that are cognitive in nature
C)research conducted in established educational settings that involve normal education practices
D)research that uses living subjects
Answer: D
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4
Chapter 3: General Issues in Research Design
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54 Verified Questions
54 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Units of analysis are typically also the units of __________.
A)observation
B)crime
C)interaction
D)fallacy
Answer: A
Q2) Scientific theory deals with
A)the logical aspect of science
B)the observational aspect
C)operationalization
D)data analysis
Answer: A
Q3) If a cross-sectional study can be likened to a "snapshot," and a trend study to a "slide show," then which of the following is most like a "motion picture?"
A)longitudinal study
B)retrospective study
C)prospective study
D)panel study
Answer: D
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Page 5
Chapter 4: Concepts, Operationalization, and Measurement
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55 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) ____________________ is an effort to convert the UCR to a more comprehensive crime report.
Q2) Concepts are ______.
A)empirical measurements
B)variables
C)mental images
D)hypotheses
Q3) Every variable should have two important qualities: their attributes should be exhaustive as well as mutually exclusive.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Specifying the different ____________ of a concept often paves the way for a more sophisticated understanding of what we are studying.
Q5) Discuss the threat to validity.Ask students to identify and discuss face, content, criterion-related, and construct.
Q6) Reliability is measuring what you think you are measuring. A)True
B)False
6
Q7) A definition that says exactly how a concept will be measured is ___________.
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Chapter 5: Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs
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58 Verified Questions
58 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Construct validity refers to generalizing from what we observe and measure to the real-world things in which we are interested.
A)True B)False
Q2) There may be legal reasons why randomization cannot be used in criminal justice research to assign subjects to either a control group or an experimental group.
A)True B)False
Q3) Explain the role of randomization in classical experiments.
Q4) The main reason that experiments in criminal justice are so easy to complete is that the researcher need only secure one experimental and one control group for any project.
A)True B)False
Q5) When random assignment to experimental and control groups is not possible, the researcher may be forced to use a(n)_____________________ design.
Q6) _____________________ refers to the ability to take findings from an experiment and apply them to the real world.
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Page 7
Chapter 6: Sampling
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is an example of a multistage cluster sample?
A)the Self Report Survey
B)the National Crime Victimization Survey
C)Uniform Crime Reports
D)Court records
Q2) A good way to avoid sampling bias in the assessment of public opinion about a specific criminal justice topic is to employ the use of a radio call-in show since those who call radio talk shows represent everyone in the population.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The unit about which information is gathered and forms the basis for analysis is known as _____.
A)a sampling element
B)a unit of observation
C)a sampling frame
D)a sample
Q4) The use of ___________________ sampling helps researchers generalize to a larger population.
Q5) The primary goal of _______________________ is homogeneity.
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Chapter 7: Survey Research and Other Ways of Asking Questions
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55 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Focus groups are most useful _____.
A)when precise generalization to a larger population is essential and the focus groups participants and the larger population are relatively heterogeneous
B)when precise generalization to a larger population is essential and the focus groups participants and the larger population are relatively homogeneous
C)when precise generalization to a larger population is not necessary and the focus groups participants and the larger population are relatively homogeneous
D)when precise generalization to a larger population is not necessary and the focus group participants and the larger population are relatively heterogeneous
Q2) All of the following may represent errors when constructing items for a questionnaire except for _____.
A)the researcher uses long and complicated items
B)the negation of a question
C)the researcher uses short items
D)the researcher uses a combination question when they only want a single answer
Q3) What is CATI? What advantages and disadvantages does it offer for researchers?
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Chapter 8: Field Research
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Sample Questions
Q1) When the researcher selects the role of ________________ they are participating with the group but let the group know that they are conducting research.
Q2) Regardless of the techniques used to identify subjects from subcultures, there will be concerns.Which of the following is not one of them?
A)lack of probability sampling
B)selection bias
C)generally a small sample size
D)there are no concerns once you get an informant to introduce members of their subculture
Q3) Qualitative field research compared to surveys
A)is easier to conduct
B)is more reliable
C)is stronger on validity but weaker on reliability
D)is less expensive
Q4) Identify the difference between the various roles of the observer in field research.Offer an example of a research scenario that would be appropriate for each role.
Q5) Field research interviews use less structured methods known by Patton as
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Chapter 9: Agency Records, Content Analysis, and Secondary Data
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Sample Questions
Q1) Clinic workers in a major Northwest city have been asked to track the incidence and patterns of STDs in their patients as part of a research project dealing with public health.They ask a number of specific questions upon intake but do not ask about their clients' sexual partners.The only way to examine patterns in the spread of the STDs is to add a question to the intake form about the identity of their sexual partners.The data that was gathered illustrates _____.
A)nonpublic agency records
B)published statistics
C)new data collected by agency staff
D)content analysis
Q2) Dr.Jones is having his Introductory to Criminal Justice students analyze cartoons.He instructs them to identify the number of violent acts per show, the type of violent act and the characteristics of the victim.Dr.Jones is having his students use _____.
A)content analysis
B)secondary data
C)new data collected by agency staff
D)nonpublic agency records
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Chapter 10: Evaluation Research and Problem Analysis
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Sample Questions
Q1) What are the strengths and weaknesses of quasi-experimental designs? Explain how the use of quasi-experimental designs may be more useful than classical experiments for conducting criminal justice research.
Q2) Which of the following does not represent potential problems in doing evaluation research?
A)conflicting goals
B)vague goals
C)when the intended actions and goals are linked through empirical evidence. D)difficulty in expressing policy goals in the "if-then" form that can be empirically tested
Q3) Scientific realism is rooted in the principle that:
A)similar interventions can naturally be expected to have different outcomes in different contexts
B)the success of evaluations depends on the assignment of subjects to experimental and control groups
C)there be equivalence between experimental and control groups before an intervention
D)treatment integrity must be rigorously guarded
Q4) Policy ___________ refer to what is actually produced.
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12
Chapter 11: Interpreting Data
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Sample Questions
Q1) The standard deviation is the square root of the _______________.
Q2) Which of the following is an accurate statement?
A)if the mean is much higher than the mode, it indicates that there are no extreme cases
B)if the standard deviation is high, it indicates that there is no variability
C)if the mean is the same as median, it indicates that the mode will be higher.
D)Whenever the mean is much higher than the mode, it indicates that the mean is distorted
Q3) The most frequent attribute, the __________ can be reported from either grouped or ungrouped data.
Q4) With respect to standard deviation, which of the following statements is not correct?
A)the total deviation is zero
B)the average deviation is zero
C)the value can range from negative 1 to positive 1
D)the sum of the deviations from the mean will always be zero
Q5) Summary averages or measures of central tendency include the mode, mean, and range.
A)True
B)False
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