In case you are struggling to come up with a good research question, here are some ideas …these should at least show you kind of what I am looking for!

1. How does community policing impact crime rates in urban vs. rural areas?

2. What role does restorative justice play in reducing recidivism compared to traditional punitive approaches?

3. What is the impact of solitary confinement on the mental health of inmates?

4. How does family involvement in the juvenile justice system process impact outcomes for young offenders?

5. What are the barriers to reporting sexual assault in different communities (you’d have to be specific here), and how can they be overcome?

6. How effective are electronic monitoring systems in reducing recidivism among parolees?

7. How does the public perception of the judicial system influence jury decisions? 

Students will create a research proposal throughout the semester using secondary data. The final product of this project is a written research proposal due on December 8, 2024.

Step 1: Specify research questions and identify data source: Each student is asked to submit a one-page statement to specify one-two research questions they would like to research in-depth. In this assignment, each student should also identify at least one existing data source that can be used to study these research questions (at least one data source per question—these can be the same data source, but the two should be linked). Briefly describe the data source, including the following information in the assignment: the name of the data source, whether this data source is publicly available or not, who manages the data, and what variables can be used to support your study in the data. 50 points. Due September 29, 2024.

Step 2: Literature Review: This assignment will be used as the literature review section in your final proposal. Please follow the instruction in "Research Methods Proposal Structure” below to finish this assignment. In this assignment, your main task is to establish why your topic is important to criminal justice practice. Use literature (10 peer reviewed journal articles at a minimum) to support your argument for the relevance of the project. The literature review is worth 100 points. Due October 27, 2024.

Step 3: Methods: This assignment will be used as the methods section in your final proposal. Please follow the instruction in “Research Methods Proposal Structure” below to finish this assignment. Methods are worth 100 points. Due November 17, 2024.

Step 4: Final Research Proposal: The final research proposal will consist of a problem statement, research questions (any why these are important), a literature review, conceptual model, and a data collection and analysis plan (see below). This proposal should incorporate suggestions/edits from previous submissions and be concluded within 13 pages, not including a title page and references. The written proposal is worth 100 points. Due December 8, 2024.

Research Methods Proposal Structure

General Assignment Formatting:

· 12 point, Times New Roman, 1” margins, double-spaced

· Name only in the upper right corner

· In-text references used and properly cited in a final reference page using APA

Literature Review:

· Introduction:

· Introduction. Provide an opening paragraph that introduces the topic and identifies the focus of your topic.

· Statement of the problem or issue. Describe the problem or issue. Describe what is known about the topic in empirical terms…How many? How much? Etc…

· Significance: Why is the topic important?

· Review the literature on the chosen topic. What are the major arguments, theories, and findings? What is understood and not understood? What needs to be resolved before this topic area can move forward? What are the major gaps in the knowledge base on this topic? This is your opportunity to demonstrate the variety of sources of literature that you have learned to identify.

· Conceptual framework or theory . What is the conceptual framework or theory that guides your research questions/hypotheses? Create a figure that shows the relationships between constructs and describe it as it relates to your project. Your discussion should clearly identify the following: Dependent and independent variables of interest and a conceptual framework showing clear relationships between/among variables.

· Research question or specific hypotheses (i.e., testable statement): Clearly state your research question or questions and/or hypothesis/hypotheses.

· Overall: 5-7 pages, title page, and reference page (not included in the page total)

Methods:

· Research design. What research design will you use to answer your research question(s) or test your hypothesis?

· Data collection or data source: Describe how you will obtain the data needed for your research design or how the data was previously collected.

· Variables and their measurement. What is the dependent variable and how is it measured? What are the independent variables and how are they measured?

· Data analysis. How will you analyze the data? What data analytic techniques will you use?

· Conclusions: Summarize your project and convince the reader again why it is important and what it will contribute.

· Overall: 4-6 pages, title page, and reference page (not included in the page total)

Make-up exams/late work policy:

All assignments/exams will have specific due dates noted in the course calendar. Failure to submit your assignments/exams by the deadline will result in an automatic 10% reduction. If your assignment/exam is not turned in by the end of the 4th day, you will receive a zero. For example, if an assignment is due at 11:59pm on a Sunday and you turn it in that Thursday by 11:59pm, you will receive 10% off your grade. If you do not turn it in until that Friday, you will receive a zero.

Academic Honesty/Plagiarism

If you cheat, plagiarize, or any other form of academic dishonesty as expressed in the University policy outlined below, you will receive a zero for the assignment. The use of ChatGPT or any other AI software is strictly forbidden and its use counts as cheating. As such, if I catch you using any form of AI software, you will receive a zero on the assignment.

In case you encounter a technical problem that precludes you from submitting assignments on time, contact me by email ASAP. You must take a photo of your computer screen that shows the error message. Attach the photo to the email. If you do not inform me of a technical difficulty until after the due date, you will be penalized per the above policies.

University Policies

Academic Honesty Policy