University of North Carolina Wilmington Department of Sociology and Criminology Fall 2015 CRM 300 – CRN 11659 (3 hours) MWF - 12:00pm – 12:50pm - Bear Hall 161 Instructor: Roderick W. Jones, Ph.D. E-Mail: jonesrw@uncw.edu (All communications should be made through e-mail). Office: Bear Hall 123 Office Hours: MWF 1:30 – 2:30 or by appointment Catalog Course Description: (SOC 300) Prerequisite: SOC 105 or CRM 105; pre or co-requisite: MAT 111 or higher (excluding MAT 141, MAT 142) or a score of 4 or higher on the UNCW math placement test. Introduction to logic and methods of sociological research. Topics include connections between theory and research, problem formulation and research design, conceptualization and measurement, sampling, modes of observation and analysis, ethical issues, and the political context of research. Partially satisfies University Studies IV: Building Competencies/Information Literacy. Partially satisfies University Studies IV: Building Competencies/Writing Intensive. Course Goals and Objectives: The goal of this course is to familiarize students with basic principles of research within the field of criminal justice and criminology. Topics we will cover include the following: crime, criminal justice, scientific inquiry, foundations of research, research ethics, research design, measurement of crime, experimental designs, quasi-experimental designs, sampling, survey research, qualitative interviewing, field observation, content analysis and secondary data analysis, evaluation research and problem analysis, interpretation of data (statistics), and regression analysis. Required Text: Maxfield, M.G. & Babbie, E.R. (2015). Research methods for criminal justice and criminology. (7th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning. Learning Outcomes: • • • • • • • • Students will gain factual knowledge (terminology, classifications, methods, and trends) Students will learn fundamental principles, generalizations, and theories Students will analyze and critically evaluate ideas, arguments, and points of view Students will demonstrate critical and creative thinking as it applied to production and review of statistical information Students will gain experience in interpreting and analyzing peer-reviewed research Students will learn principles of APA style guidelines Students will gain practical experience with data collection, statistical software, and geographic information systems. Students will learn to construct a literature review Statement on Academic Integrity: All students enrolled at UNCW are subject to the UNCW Student Academic Honor Code, which is intended to help every member of the UNCW community appreciate the high value placed on academic integrity and the means that will be employed to ensure its preservation. Students are expected to perpetuate a campus culture in which each student does his or her own work while relying on appropriate resources for assistance. In such a climate, students enjoy a special trust that they are members of a unique community in which one’s thoughts and words are attributed correctly and with proper ownership, and in which there is little need for systems to sanction those who cheat. As such, all UNCW students shall commit to the principles and spirit of the Honor Code by adhering to the following pledge: As a student at The University of North Carolina Wilmington, you committed to honesty and truthfulness in academic inquiry and in the pursuit of knowledge. You pledge to uphold and promote the UNCW Student Academic Honor Code. All members of UNCW’s community are expected to follow the academic Honor Code. Please read the UNCW Honor Code carefully (as covered in the UNCW Student Handbook and available here: http://www.uncw.edu/odos/honorcode/ . Academic dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated in this class. Plagiarism: Please be especially familiar with UNCW’s position on plagiarism as outlined in the UNCW Student Handbook. Plagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty in which you take someone else’s ideas and represent them as your own. Here are some examples of plagiarism: 1. You write about someone else’s work in your paper and do not give them credit for it by referencing them. 2. You give a presentation and use someone else’s ideas and do not state that the ideas are the other person’s. 3. You get facts from your textbook or some other reference material and do not reference that material. Statement Regarding Violence and Harassment: UNCW practices a zero tolerance policy for any kind of violent or harassing behavior. If you are experiencing an emergency of this type contact the police at 911 or UNCW CARE at 962- 2273. Resources for individuals concerned with a violent or harassing situation can be located at http://www.uncw.edu/wsrc/crisis.html. Statement on Services for Students with Disabilities: Students with diagnosed disabilities should contact the Office of Disability Services (962-7555). Please give me a copy of the letter you receive from Office of Disability Services detailing class accommodations you may need. If you require accommodation for test-taking, please make sure I have the referral letter no less than three days before the test. University Learning Center: Location: DePaolo Hall 1056 & 1003, first floor Phone: (910) 962-7857 Website: www.uncw.edu/ulc The University Learning Center’s (ULC) mission is to help students become successful, independent learners. Tutoring at the ULC is NOT remediation: the ULC offers a different type of learning opportunity for those students who want to increase the quality of their education. ULC services are free to all UNCW students and include the following: Learning Services (University Studies) http://www.uncw.edu/ulc/learning/index.html Math Services http://www.uncw.edu/ulc/math/index.html Supplemental Instruction http://www.uncw.edu/ulc/si/index.html Writing Services http://www.uncw.edu/ulc/writing/index.html COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Attendance: This course does not have an attendance policy. However, you are expected to attend class and participate by reading and asking questions (if you have them). Keep in mind that you are paying for your education, and you should do your best to get as much out of your collegiate experiences. Also, keep in mind that the job market is competitive. The TOP people you will compete with for jobs go to class, read, and are fully engaged in obtaining a quality education. How well will you do in this open competition for jobs? You should train yourself to be responsible, which means being where you are supposed to be on time, prepared, and ready to work. Preparation: The student is expected to be prepared before coming to class and be willing to demonstrate that preparation. Preparation refers to completing all reading before coming to class with enough comprehension to engage in an intelligent discussion. Please try to bring your textbook to class everyday as I will regularly refer to examples within the text and it will be much easier for you to follow along with the examples. Every effort will be made by the professor to maintain a class atmosphere conducive to learning and the free exchange of ideas. Since learning is an interactive process of communication between faculty and students, each student is expected to participate in this process. ASSIGNMENTS: All assignments will be turned in through Blackboard. Lab Day Handouts: We will have several lab days throughout the semester that will be used to give you some practical experience collecting data and using various resources for conducting analysis. There will be 5 lab day handouts worth 20 points each. You are required to complete the lab day handouts in class, which means that you must listen carefully to instructions during the labs and follow along as I lead you through the lab. Classes are short, so we must work efficiently and stay on task to get through the lessons. Some days you may be asked to take the lab day assignment home to finish and turn in the next class. Article Reviews: You will be required to conduct 5 articles reviews throughout the semester worth 20 points each. The five articles have been published in peer-reviewed journals, and cover a range of topics in criminology. I will provide an example and a template that you should use to construct your article review. The reviews should be typed, size 12, Times New Roman font and match the format from the example and template that I will provide. Each review should be 2 pages in length. It should be difficult for you to write your review in just two pages due to the amount of information necessary to complete the review. However, you need to practice writing concisely because as you progress as a writer you will be required to be more equitable, organized, and simplistic with what you say. Reading Notes: “A person who won’t read has no advantage over one who can’t read” – Mark Twain In order to ensure that you are completing the required reading you will be required to complete reading notes. Your reading notes are chapter outlines that you will create from the Maxfield and Babbie textbook. The chapter outlines should be typed and outlined using MS Word’s note taking features. This means using bullet points and different heading and section labels. The reading notes serve two very important purposes. First, they make you review the material multiple times. You will read the text and then take notes over what you read, which provides you with multiple exposures to the course material. Second, by creating the chapter outlines you create study guides that will greatly enhance your ability to study for exams. There are 14 chapters in the book. Each set of reading notes is worth 10 points. Reading notes are typically due on Fridays by 11:59pm. You may be tempted to share notes with classmates since they are in digital format. Don’t do this. I will be able to tell very easily if you do. YOU MUST COMPLETE YOUR OWN WORK (See statements on academic integrity above). If I find evidence that you are sharing chapter outlines with classmates I will not hesitate to go through the proper channels (i.e. department administration) for disciplinary purposes, and you will automatically fail this course. Chapter Assignments: Each week you will be required to complete chapter assignments that will consist of multiple choice and true/false questions. The questions will be presented as assignments on Blackboard. The assignments are worth 10 points each and will typically be due by 11:59pm on Fridays. Exams: There will be two exams that are each worth 100 points. The mid term exam will cover chapters 1 through 7 and the final exam will cover chapters 8 – 14. Since you are assigned readings from the book all topics covered in any of the chapters is fair game for the exams. This means if I skip over a topic in lecture, or if it does not appear in the lecture notes but is in the textbook, then it is still your responsibility to know that material. The exams will be given on Blackboard. You will have 1 hour to complete the exam once you start. After 1 hour, the exam will close and will be automatically submitted. Thus, you must pace yourself to ensure that you attempt all of the questions. Since the exams are given on Blackboard they will be open note and taken at your leisure (We will not meet for class on exam days). The exams will be available on blackboard at 9:00am and will close at 11:59pm on the day of the exam. Literature Review: As a part of the writing intensive requirement for this course a literature review worth 100 points will be mandatory (10 page minimum). The literature review must adhere to APA formatting. As we progress through the semester we will work together to build a strong literature review. Several of the lab day sessions will be devoted to constructing the literature review. Grading: Course grades will be assigned based on the totals from exams and homework assignments. Grades will be distributed using the following scale: A = (100 – 90%); B = (89 – 80%); C = (79 – 70%); D = (69 – 65%); F = (< 65%) Point Distribution: Item Lab Day Handouts Article Reviews Reading Notes Chapter Assignments Exams Literature Review Total Point Value 100 100 140 140 200 100 780 points Events 5 Assignments 5 Assignments 14 Assignments 14 Assignments 2 Exams Final Paper Student Progress: Grades will be regularly updated on Blackboard. Percent of Final Grade 12.8% 12.8% 17.9% 17.9% 25.6% 12.8% 100% Academic Calendar: Please review the academic calendar for important dates throughout the semester. Available at: http://catalogue.uncw.edu/content.php?catoid=17&navoid=1088#Fall__2015 COURSE SCHEDULE: Dates Week 1: August 17: No Class August 19: Introduction August 21: Criminological and Criminal Justice Theory Week 2: August 24: Crime, Criminal Justice, and Scientific Inquiry August 26: Crime, Criminal Justice, and Scientific Inquiry August 28: Research Lab Day 1: Article Searches Week 3: August 31: Foundations of Criminal Justice Research September 2: Foundations of Criminal Justice Research September 4: Foundations of Criminal Justice Research Week 4: September 7: Labor Day – No Class September 9: Ethics and Criminal Justice September 11: Ethics and Criminal Justice Week 5: September 14: Research Lab Day 2: CITI Training September 16:General Issues in Research Design September 18: General Issues in Research Design Week 6: September 21: Concepts, Operationalization, Measurement September 23: Concepts, Operationalization, Measurement September 25: Research Lab Day 3: Article Search 2 Week 7: September 28: Measuring Crime September 20: Measuring Crime October 2: Research Lab Day 4: APA Style Week 8: October 5:Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs October 7: Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs October 9: Mid-Term Exam (Due at 11:59pm) Week 9: October 12: No Class – Fall Break October 14: Sampling October 16: Sampling Assignments/Events Handout: Syllabus Read Chapter 1 Ch. 1 Notes Due, Ch. 1 Assignment Due Read Chapter 2 Research Lab 1 Due Ch. 2 Notes Due, Ch. 2 Assignment Due Read Chapter 3 Ch. 3 Notes Due, Ch. 3 Assignment Due Read Chapter 4 Ch. 4 Notes Due, Ch. 4 Assignment Due Read Chapter 5 Research Lab 2 Due Ch. 5 Notes Due, Ch. 5 Assignment Due Read Chapter 6 Ch. 6 Notes Due, Ch. 6 Assignment Due Read Chapter 7 Ch. 7 Notes Due, Ch. 7 Assignment Due Read Chapter 8 Ch. 8 Notes Due, Ch. 8 Assignment Due Week 10: October 19: Survey Research October 21: Survey Research October 23: Survey Research Week 11: October 26: Qualitative Interviewing October 28: Qualitative Interviewing October 30: Qualitative Interviewing Week 12: November 2: Field Observation November 4: Field Observation November 6: Research Lab Day 5: Graffiti Week 13: November 9: Agency Records, Content Analysis, Secondary... November 11: Agency Records, Content Analysis, Secondary... November 13: Agency Records, Content Analysis, Secondary... Week 14: November 16: Evaluation Research and Problem Analysis November 18: No Class – ASC Conference November 20: No Class – ASC Conference Week 15: November 23: Evaluation Research and Problem Analysis November 25: No Class – Thanksgiving Holiday November 27: No Class – Thanksgiving Holiday Week 16: November 30: Interpreting Data December 2: Interpreting Data December 4: Final Exam (Due at 11:59pm) Read Chapter 9 Ch. 9 Notes Due, Ch. 9 Assignment Due Read Chapter 10 Ch.10 Notes Due, Ch. 10 Assignment Due Read Chapter 11 Ch.11 Notes Due, Ch.11 Assignment Due Read Chapter 12 Ch.12 Notes Due, Ch.12 Assignment Due Read Chapter 13 Read Chapter 13 Ch.13 Notes Due, Ch.13 Assignment Due Ch.14 Notes Due, Ch.14 Assignment Due