SYLLABUS

www.drgtelesco.blogspot.com
American Intercontinental University
Dr. Grace Telesco
CCJ 480 Advanced Topics

This is an Asynchronous course which means that it meets once a week on ground and once a week online. You must mark your calendars for the specific details as to which day of the week you must physically attend class.

Contact Info
GTelesco@mdc.edu
Cell # 917 579-3750

Course Description
This course introduces the student to social science research in criminal justice and provides a basic introduction to methodology. Material covers the following areas: various phases of the scientific method, developing a researchable question, the values, ethical and political issues in research, narrowing and specifying the research hypothesis, sampling; design; data collection; and measurement techniques. Each topic is addressed through readings, lecture material and practical application which includes a comprehensive research paper that includes a thorough review of the current literature on the topic.

Course Objectives

At the end of this course the student is expected to:

1. Understand the concept of the scientific method as it relates to topics in criminal justice.

2. Acquire basic skills in research methodology relevant to: problem identification; formulation of research questions through hypothesis formulation; research design; sampling procedures, measurement; data collection; data analysis; and interpretation of findings.

3. Understand the ethical dilemmas confronted in the process of conducting behavioral science research and have knowledge of the current practices and standards for protecting the rights of human subjects.

4. Develop the skills and knowledge necessary to critically evaluate published research and utilize research findings in behavioral science research.


Required Text

TBA
American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (Latest Edition)


Suggested

Pyrczak, F. Bruce, R. (2000). Writing empirical research reports (3rd ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Pyrczak Publishing.

Pyrczak, F. (2001). Making sense of statistics: A conceptual overview (2nd ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Pyrczak Publishing.


Course Requirements & Weights

Research Proposal (including a literature review of at least 5 articles = 50%
(proposal is broken into parts each worth various points)

NOTE: APA format must be adhered to in literature review

Critique of article = 15%

Lit Review Presentations = 10%

Defense = 10%

Final Exam = 15%


Course Outline

Week 1 Introduction & Overview Wednesday 1/6
Epistemology and The Science of Knowing WESTON CAMPUS
Scientific Method
The Research Process
The Research Question
Conceptual Models
WED 1/8 ONLINE


Week 2 What is already known? FRIDAY 1/15
Lit Review Preview WESTON CAMPUS
APA Review
Variables Research Question Due
Independent & Dependent Variables (Worth up to 2 POINTS)
The “Other Variable”

Hypothesis Development
The “Null Hypothesis”
Hypothesis Testing
Variables, Hypotheses & Conceptual Models Due
(Worth up to 6 POINTS)

***WED 1/13 ONLINE




Week 3 LIT REVIEW PRESENTATIONS FRIDAY 1/22
WESTON CAMPUS
(Worth up to 10 POINTS)

***WED 1/20 ONLINE

Week 4 Operationalizing Variables & Measurement Literature Review Due (Worth up to 15 POINTS)
WED 1/27 WESTON CAMPUS
Levels of Measurement
Instrument construction
Creating scales
Reliability and validity

*** FRI 1/29 ONLINE

Week 5 Units of Analysis & Sampling Measurement Section Due
Sampling Strategies (Worth up to 10 POINTS)
Generalizability FRI 2/5 WESTON CAMPUS


*** WED 2/3 ONLINE

WED 2/10 ONLINE ASSIGNMENT
Critique of Article (Worth 15 POINTS)

NOTE: This assignment will be open from Tuesday 2/9 at 11:00 PM until Wednesday 2/10 at 11PM


Week 6 Research Method & Design Sampling Section Due Quantitative/Qualitiative (Worth up to 7 POINTS)
Exploratory
Descriptive
Explanatory
Cross-Sectional v Longitudinal FRI 2/12 WESTON CAMPUS
Case Study




Week 7 Data Collection Design Section Due
Questionnaires, Surveys & Interviews (Worth up to 3 POINTS)
Observation and Existing Data FRI 2/19 WESTON CAMPUS

***WED 2/17 ONLINE


Weeks 8 & 9 DEFENSES Worth up to 10 PTS
FRIDAYS 2/26 & 3/5 WESTON CAMPUS

** WEDNESDAYS 2/24 & 3/3 ONLINE




Week 10 Final Examination Data Collection Due
(Worth up to 7 POINTS) WEDNESDAY MARCH 10th