Assignment 1: Reviewing the
Literature
RESEARCH DESIGN:
What are you researching?
Identifying a researchable
question
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Elements research proposal
1.Theoretical / Conceptual Framework
2. Plan of Execution for Study
 Crime Problem &
CCJ Intervention
 Literature Review
 Research
Questions & Aims
 Data Collection
Methods:
» Subjects for Study &
Measurement




Analysis
References
Schedule
Budget
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How to design a research project
Key elements of the research design process:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
WHAT?
WHY?
HOW?
AT WHOM?
WHEN?
WHERE?
HOW OFTEN?
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Getting started: What are you researching?
Choosing a topic:
• Identify a criminal justice intervention
• Get connected with the literature in your chosen
area
• If you are unfamiliar with methods of accessing
literature please see me and/or our Graduate TA
during office hours.
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Your “WHAT” Question
 What are you researching?
» This is your main research question(s)
» What do you want to investigate?
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Phase 1: Selecting a Topic (completed)
Beginning points for a line of research
» Interests, ideas, theories, new programs
» Why does something occur?
» Why is this how it is?
 These questions may lead to others
you might like to explore
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CCJ interventions
A program or policy that is put in place to have
a particular effect or result.
Typically to address a particular problem or to
have some desired outcome, e.g.,
• to reduce crime, to increase the number of visible
minority police officers, to improve parenting
strategies, to improve police-community relations.
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Phase 1: Investigating Your Topic
 Find out what research has been done
 Read newspaper stories, journal articles,
check out the Internet, talk to relevant people
 Go to both Campbell Collaborative website
and crimesolutions.gov and look for research
summaries
 Figure out your objective & intended audience
 What is your purpose for undertaking the
research?
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Phase 2: Formulating Your Question
•Must be an empirical question:
•Answer must be ‘discoverable’ through
observation/scientific investigation
•Must be as focused as possible; 3 examples
• GOOD:How effective are offender treatment programs in prisons?
• Better:How effective are sex offender treatment programs in
prisons?
• BEST:How effective is cognitive behavioural therapy in prisons at
preventing recidivism among sex offenders?
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Phase 2: Refining Your Question
•
Identify GAPS in the Literature: focus on research quality issues here,
using review criteria developed for Campbell Collaborative reviews: 1- 5
scale
• How can you contribute to the existing body of
knowledge on your topic? EXAMPLE:
• What effect does public area CCTV have on citizens’ willingness
to exercise guardianship?
• Is CCTV a cost-effective alternative to crime prevention and
control compared to natural forms of guardianship?
• Does CCTV have a negative effect on citizens fear of crime?
• Does CCTV have a deterrent effect on offenders?
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Avoid questions of value, philosophy or
politics
For example,
• Is rehabilitation a better objective for sentencing than
punishment?
• What should we do about pornography?
• Is incarceration an appropriate sentence for the mentally-ill?
•Note: research can be done in these areas, but
empirical research can’t be carried out in the present
form.
•Need to specify the criteria for words of ‘value’.
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Turning a non-researchable question
into a researchable question
Take the question:
• Is incarceration an appropriate sentence for the
mentally-ill?
•Many ways to define “appropriate”…one
possible way would be to assume it is defined by
a reduced risk of re-offending. In this case:
•
Is the risk to re-offend lower for mentally-ill
offenders sentenced to incarceration or
alternative sentences?
•Know and define your criteria.
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Example: My Investigation Stage
My topic: Public Area CCTV Interventions
Examples of My question:
•What effect does public area CCTV have on citizens’ willingness to
exercise guardianship?
•Is CCTV a cost-effective alternative to crime prevention and control
compared to natural forms of guardianship?
•Does CCTV have a negative effect on citizens fear of crime?
•Does CCTV have a deterrent effect on offenders?
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Your “WHY” Question
 Why is this question:
» Relevant to CJ?
» What does it contribute to our knowledge? (gaps)
» Why do criminologists need an answer to this
question?
 Why is this question:
» Relevant to society as a whole?
» What implications does it have (beyond your
academic discipline)?
» Why does society need an answer to this question?
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Example: My “WHY”
My choice: Public Area CCTV Interventions
• It’s a hot topic in criminology and crime prevention
right now
• Widespread international implementation
• Why 1: Academically, there is little consensus
about whether it works or under what conditions
• Why 2: Major societal implications in terms of
privacy and more importantly natural surveillance
mechanisms9 people watching people)
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Central points
1.
Question should be expressed in researchable terms.
2.
Researchable questions are:
3.
1.
specific,
2.
limited in scope,
3.
related to some empirical reality (i.e., must be some sort of
evidence that can be consulted, and
4.
should have specific evaluation criteria so that you can tell
whether you’ve answered the question.
Eventually you will need to consider things like units of
analysis, appropriate study design, availability of data,
possible threats to validity, hypotheses, etc.
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Your Investigation: Stage 1
What CJS interventions have you found that
are of interest?
What research question(s) have you decided
on?
• Class Discussion Round
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Next Phase: Literature Review
 Write short summaries of the literature you
review and include key findings in a
summary table
» Aims / Research Questions addressed
» Methods Used
» Key Results
» Your analysis of the study
 Problems, Gaps, Limitations
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Review of Literature
Assessment 1: TIPS
Summary Table Example
Author(year)
Intervention/target population( n of cases)
Study design( quality)
Key findings
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What is a literature review?
 An account of main studies published in
your topic area
 Will help you define or redefine your
topic and research question(s)
 Will help you to clarify your research
strategy and design.
» What methods have others used to
approach the topic?
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Writing your literature review
Your literature review must do these
things:
» be organized around and related directly to
the thesis or research question(s) you have
been developing
» synthesize results into a summary of what is
and is not known
» identify areas of controversy in the literature
» formulate questions that need further
research
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Structure of Lit Review: Funnel Shaped
Broad:
Establish
General
Area of
Research
Narrow:
What has
been done
before
Specific: What will you do & how will
it contribute to the body of info that
exists on this topic
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Structure of Lit Review: Funnel Shaped
Start with broad
focus on your
chosen
research area
Why is it
relevant?
What research
has been done
before (from
broadly related
to specifically
related)
Tie it all into
your specific
research
question(s)*
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