CCJ 6704 – Research Methods in Criminal Justice – Nobles

Paper #1 Theories of crime and criminal justice can be defined as statements about relationships, particularly between an independent variable and a dependent variable. When a researcher tests a theory, it might involve a more abstract idea that cannot be directly observed; for instance, that an individual’s level of self-control is associated with their likelihood of engaging in crime or delinquency. Alternatively, a theory might be more applied in nature; for example, when evaluating CJ programming such as D.A.R.E., the theory outlines a conceptual model of how the program is intended function. In both types of examples, concepts are the building blocks of the theories being tested. Locate two academic journal articles from criminology/criminal justice journals that attempt to develop or test a theory. Your objective is to describe how theory and research are linked in both examples:

 First, identify the major concepts that are featured in each article. (Typically these will be listed in the methodology as independent and dependent variables.)

 Second, discuss how the authors construct and operationalize these concepts. Are they from a well-established academic literature, or are they more applied in nature? How are the variables hypothesized to influence one another?

 Third, what are the major findings from the articles? Is the theory or hypothesis in each example supported or not supported?

 Lastly, comment on the “value” added by the study: in your view, does each article represent a step forward in understanding or addressing real-world issue or problem?

Throughout your paper, you may find it helpful to use compare and contrast statements in order to show similarity or differences in the two example articles you select. Also, remember to provide APA-style citations for your source articles, where appropriate.

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