Criminological Research Methods
Question Bank
Course Introduction
Criminological Research Methods introduces students to the foundational tools and techniques used to study crime, criminal behavior, and the criminal justice system. The course covers both quantitative and qualitative research designs, including the formulation of research questions, sampling, data collection, and analytical methods such as surveys, interviews, ethnography, and statistical analysis. Emphasis is placed on ethical considerations, reliability, and validity in research, as well as the interpretation and presentation of findings. By the end of the course, students will be equipped to critically evaluate criminological studies and conduct independent research in the field.
Recommended Textbook
Essentials of Research Methods for Criminal Justice 3rd Edition by Frank E. Hagan
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11 Chapters
835 Verified Questions
835 Flashcards
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Chapter 1: Introduction to Criminal Justice
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99 Verified Questions
99 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Sound criminal justice research must eliminate all sources of error in order to be acceptable as accurate and valid.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) The variable that one wishes to predict is known as the:
A) independent variable
B) dependent variable
C) intervening variable
D) predictor variable
Answer: B
Q3) What type of research design was featured in the Chicago "Project of Human Development"?
A) ex post facto
B) Solomon four-group
C) classical experimental design
D) accelerated longitudinal design
Answer: D
Q4) _________________ involves generalizing from specific findings to general laws.
Answer: Inference
Page 3
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Chapter 2: Ethics in Criminal Justice Research
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91 Verified Questions
91 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Weppner feels that a strict interpretation of the old HEW guidelines would have made street ethnography impossible.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) Zimbardo prematurely canceled his "simulated prison study" rather than risk harm to the participants.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q3) _________________ refers to a system of mutual obligation between subjects and researchers.
Answer: Reciprocity
Q4) _________________ is a type of fraud in which a writer presents the ideas or work of someone else as his or her own.
Answer: Plagiarism
Q5) _________________ are research screening committees set up in colleges and universities to oversee the ethical propriety of research.
Answer: Institutional Review Boards
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Chapter 3: Research Design: the Experimental Model and Its Variations
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103 Verified Questions
103 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Validity refers to accuracy or correctness of measurement in research.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) Which of the following is not a key element of the classic experimental design?
A) equivalence
B) isolation of subjects
C) pre and post tests
D) experimental and control groups
Answer: B
Q3) The Omaha replication of the Minneapolis Domestic Violence Experiment confirmed that arrest had a greater impact on preventing domestic violence than did mediation or separation.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q4) _________________ designs involve studies of one group at one time.
Answer: Cross-sectional
Answer: Longitudinal Page 5
Q5) _________________ designs are studies of the same group over a period of time.
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Chapter 4: The Uniform Crime Reports and Sampling
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91 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Nonprobability samples utilize an equal probability of selection method.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Which of the following is not a probability sample?
A) quota
B) stratified
C) cluster
D) simple random
Q3) Simple random samples by no means guarantee representative samples.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Criminal profiling involves attempts to construct typical characteristics of certain types of criminals.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Unobtrusive measures refer to secretive or nonreactive methods.
A)True
B)False
Q6) _________________ is the term for clandestine or nonreactive methods of data gathering.
Page 7
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Chapter 5: Survey Research: Questionnaires
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42 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) What are the principal advantages/disadvantages of mail surveys?
Q2) The expected level of response to a mail survey with one mailing is approximately 75 percent.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Discuss some ways of checking the validity of self-report surveys.
Q4) Purposively selected groups of volunteers who are brought together in order to record their reactions or attitudes regarding products, candidate speeches, and the like are:
A) exit polls
B) focus groups
C) snowball samples
D) rotated panels
Q5) Counterbiasing involves asking questions in such a way that the behavior appears to be relatively frequent and normal.
A)True
B)False
Q6) groups are purposively selected groups brought to gether in order to measure their reaction to some stimuli.
Page 8
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Chapter 6: Survey Research: Interviews and Telephone
Surveys
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80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Following up an initial question with a request for more in depth explanation is called:
A) bounding
B) reverse record checking
C) probing
D) simulation
Q2) It may be necessary at times for the interviewer to be an undiplomatic boor.
A)True
B)False
Q3) A major advantage of internet surveys over other types of surveys is that they are inexpensive if not free.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The moving of a previous incident into the time period being studied is called:
A) bounding
B) rotation
C) screening
D) telescoping
Q5) List the three major types of interviews.Under what circum stances would it be most appropriate to use each?
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Chapter 7: Participant Observation and Case Studies
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Sample Questions
Q1) Participant observation as a data gathering strategy:
A) usually represents a commitment to a more quantitative research orientation
B) may pose potential ethical hazards
C) usually involves minimum contact with subjects
D) requires that the researcher perform all of the activities of the group being studied
Q2) There is a unanimous agreement among those conducting participant observation in criminal justice research that the investigator should avoid moralistic stances.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Which of the following was not identified as a problem with quantitative means of data gathering such as experiments and surveys?
A) overidentification
B) artificiality
C) nonresponse bias d demand characteristics
Q4) _____________ are quantitative case studies that involve longitudinal measurement of a dependent variable on a single subject or case.
Q5) Identify and discuss the following three designs: ABA, ABAB, ABACA.
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Chapter 8: Unobtrusive Measures, Secondary Analysis, and the
Uses of Official Statistics
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Sample Questions
Q1) A mock trial is an example of a simulation.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The "hatching chick exhibit" example was used in order to illustrate physical trace analysis.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Data archives are:
A) libraries which contain primary data sets
B) depositories for ancient artifacts
C) an example of physical trace analysis
D) used for literature reviews
Q4) Humphreys' Tearoom Trade study involved:
A) physical trace analysis
B) disguised observation
C) simulation
D) secondary analysis
Q5) _________________ involves the reanalysis of data that were previously gathered for other purposes.
Q6) Discuss and give some examples of the major types of unobtrusive methods. Page 11
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Chapter 9: Validity, Reliability, and Triangulated Strategies
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Sample Questions
Q1) The test-retest procedure assures the validity of measurement.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Criminal justice researchers agree that official statistics are a valid criterion with which to compare self-admission reports.
A)True
B)False
Q3) _________________ validity refers to the accuracy of an instrument in forecasting future events.
Q4) If one's measure is valid, then one can assume that it is reliable.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Reliability asks, "Does my measuring instrument in fact measure that which I am attempting to measure?"
A)True
B)False
Q6) _________________ is the use of multiple methods to measure the same phenomenon.
Q7) _________________ validity asks whether the measuring instrument works in predicting present characteristics.
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Chapter 10: Scaling and Index Construction
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62 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) A Likert scale eliminates items that do not _________________ between the highest and lowest scores.
Q2) Guttman scales insist upon unidimensionality.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Simple summated scales consisting of five-point, bipolar response ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree describe:
A) Thurstone scales
B) Likert scales
C) Guttman scales
D) Semantic Differential scales
Q4) The Uniform Crime Reports is an example of an arbitrary scale.
A)True
B)False
Q5) ROP projects were:
A) studies of recidivism of parolees
B) police programs with repeat offenders
C) rehabilitation of prisoners programs
D) restitution Probation Projects
Q6) Briefly discuss the prediction scale tradition in criminal justice.
Page 14
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Chapter 11: Policy Analysis and Evaluation Research
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61 Verified Questions
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Sample Questions
Q1) Modern statistical techniques are no substitute in control ling rival causal factors for experimental methods of control.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The purpose of evaluation research is primarily for pure science.
A)True
B)False
Q3) According to the text the data analysis stage is the single most important stage in research.
A)True
B)False
Q4) For an evaluability assessment which of the following is not a crucial question?
A) Where will the project be done?
B) Is the project evaluable?
C) Who can do this work?
D) Will the findings be used?
Q5) _________________ is the "study of whatever governments choose do or not to do"; "the description and explanation of the causes and consequences of government behavior."
Q6) What role does the host agency play in successful evaluation research?
Page 15
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