Please choose a researchable topic in either criminology or criminal justice that you would like to know. ?In making your choice, be sure to think in terms

Topic:  Impact of Gentrification on Crime rates in Miami Dade 

DQ1:

Please choose a researchable topic in either criminology or criminal justice that you would like to know.  In making your choice, be sure to think in terms of 1. Being a producer rather than consumer of knowledge, and 2. Finding a topic that has conceptual causation. In other words, there should be independent variables and a dependent variable.  Here is your question.  What topic will you research this semester and what are the justifications and value of your topic?  Why is this topic important?

Please write 350 words and be sure to respond to at least one colleague and assess the vitality of their project.  Please, only use constructive criticism; this is not a forum for your opinion.  Instead, you are critiquing the their topic as researchable or not. 

DQ2:

Please read five articles that are pertinent to your research topic. How did the authors structure their introduction?  Did they introduce a theory, concepts, or research propositions?  Did they provide research hypotheses or provide a thesis statement?  Why does it matter?  Finally, how will the study of academic articles shape the manner in which you approach your research topic?

Dropbox Assignment: Please submit a 1-2 page introduction to your research topic.

DQ3:

Please read five new articles and review their survey of the background (if they have one) and literature review sections.  What is the purpose of a literature review?  How does it shape and develop the core research questions or hypotheses?  How will a literature help you in the development of your research?  What did you learn about your topic based upon the review of these sections?  Please write 350 word and respond to one student colleague (Do not voice your opinion, but assess the value of a background and literature on research).

Dropbox Assignment:  Please submit a 2-5 page background section for your research (literature review is due next week).

DQ4:

Please read five new articles for your project and pay close attention to the theory sections.  Why is the theory section important in developing the research question and shaping the direction of research?  Why is research important?  Are all of the theories you found the same or are they different and what is the impact on your research paper?  Which theory is best for framing your research paper and why?  Please write 350 words and be sure to respond to at least one student colleague (again, do not give your opinion, but assess the value of theory in research design).

Dropbox Assignment:  Please submit your literature review and theory section. The literature review should be around 3 pages and the theory section 1-2 pages).

DQ5:

Please read five new articles for your project and analyze the data and methods section.  How does the choice of method answer and address the nature of the research question?  How were sampling strategies developed and how was theory inform the nature of data collection and method of analysis?  Why is the data and methods section so very important to a research project that creates knowledge rather than consumes it?  Please, respond to one student colleague and critique the data/methods discussion.

DQ6:

In this submission, please cut and paste your research project starting from the introduction through this week’s data and methods section for a peer review.  Please, review two of your colleague's research projects and assess whether all of the sections are logically structured and aligned from the introduction through the research question and theory and whether the methods are appropriate for their research.  Please, be constructive in your assessment and refrain from inputting your opinion on the topic.  Focus on the structure of their research.

Dropbox Assignment: Please submit the data/methods section of your research project. 

DQ7: 

Please read five new articles and analyze the results/analysis section of those research projects.  How do the authors use data to answer research questions and hypotheses?  How does the choice of theory shape the methods and results of research?  What is the implication on research findings and the expectations for your project?   Please respond to at least one student colleague and discuss their post.

Dropbox Assignment: Please submit your analysis section.  In this section, you may lift three tables from your literature that most closely model your “hypothetical” methods to provide data to analyze.  When you do this, use one paragraph to inform what is coming in the table, present the table, and then discuss what the table means.  This entire section is critical and should be thorough and thoughtful where 3-5 pages or more would suffice.

DQ8:

Please discuss what you learned about research as a process.  Did you learn something from your research?  How does it feel to produce knowledge?

Introduction: Introduction: The introduction is designed to provide a conceptual framework which maps out the direction and nature of your research question. It should provide a clearly discernable question or research proposition as well as a criminological justification for the research.

Background: 

The background section is designed to set the stage for the analysis section. It determines the current state of affairs pertaining to your topic of choice and is written in a manner that easily leads in to a theoretical perspective. It is an enhancement to the introduction and drives home the justification of your research. This section should be 2-3 pages in length. Please provide a 25 source bibliography on your topic.

Literature Review

Literature Review: This section lays out the current debates and findings as articulated in the academic literature pertaining to your topic. This part of the paper is designed to introduce the reader to the state of affairs of the dominant concepts in your field, methodologies, and theories. All you will do here is develop these categories for presentation and provide an academic justification for your research question.

Theory

Theory: In this section, you are asked to develop a theoretical justification for your project. You will choose the best theory in criminology to align your introductory research question to the methods being used to answer your question. This paper should be roughly two pages in length.

Data

Methods and Data: In this section, you will develop the type of method to be used in your research project and provide an aligned justification for the paper tied to the research question and theory. This should be about two well-conceived pages in length.

Analysis

Analysis: In this section, you will analyze the data that you collected. The write-up should be organized around the nature and direction of the theory outlined earlier and answer the research question.

Final Project:

Final Project: The final project pulls together all of the other sections and adds in a conclusion and implication section. In other words, you will make an argument as to why your research was important to conduct and its social, political, and criminal justice implications.

Ensure each component has been revised and corrections have been made to include in the final project.

Major Project and its Component Parts

Introduction: The introduction is designed to provide a conceptual framework which maps out the direction and nature of your research question. It should provide a clearly discernable question or research proposition as well as a criminological justification for the research.

Background: The background section is designed to set the stage for the analysis section. It determines the current state of affairs pertaining to your topic of choice and is written in a manner that easily leads in to a theoretical perspective. It is an enhancement to the introduction and drives home the justification of your research. This section should be 2-3 pages in length. Please provide a 25 source bibliography on your topic.

Literature Review: This section lays out the current debates and findings as articulated in the academic literature pertaining to your topic. This part of the paper is designed to introduce the reader to the state of affairs of the dominant concepts in your field, methodologies, and theories. All you will do here is develop these categories for presentation and provide an academic justification for your research question.

Theory: In this section, you are asked to develop a theoretical justification for your project. You will choose the best theory in criminology to align your introductory research question to the methods being used to answer your question. This paper should be roughly two pages in length. (50 Points) Methods and data: In this section, you will develop the type of method to be used in your research project and provide an aligned justification for the paper tied to the research question and theory. This should be about two well-conceived pages in length.

Analysis: In this section, you will analyze the data that you collected. The write-up should be organized around the nature and direction of the theory outlined earlier and answer the research question.