G543: 15 Mark Outline
This is a fool proof guide to answering most 15 mark Forensic essays.
To what extent are biological explanations to why people turn to crime reductionist? (15)
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This type of question is asking, how well, does this explanation explain (essentially you are
outlining strengths and weaknesses of the explanations but not the research).
Therefore you need three main points (one saying how well, one saying how it does not and a
final point can be either) and three slap backs.
All using PCEC
Step One: Work out the different areas you need to cover in your essay. Remember we always do
three!
Gender
Brain Dysfunction
Genes
Step Two: Link each topic to an issue/method/debate to the topic
Gender
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Nature
Determinism
Quantitative Data
Method used to collect
data
Brain Dysfunction
 Nature/Nurture
 Element of Free Will
 Quantitative data
 Methods used
Genes
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Nature
Explanation is
Deterministic
Both types of data
Methods used more
holistic
Step Three: Now choose three main points from your chart and them match them with a slap back.
Remember it does not have to be the same study.
Gender
 Nature (1)
 Quantitative Data (3)
Brain Dysfunction
 Nature/Nurture (1SB)
 Element of Free Will (2)
Genes
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Explanation is
Deterministic (2SB)
Both types of data (3SB)
Step Four: It’s time to get writing!
P (This will depend on the essay question but always use words from the essay question to phrase your point):
Biological explanations of why people turn to crime are reductionist because they only take into account
nature explanations of behaviour. This is reductionist because….
P (This will depend on the essay question but always use words from the essay question to phrase your point):
A strength of Biological explanations of why people turn to crime are reductionist because they only take into
account nature explanations of behaviour. This is a weakness because….
G543: 15 Mark Outline
This is a fool proof guide to answering most 15 mark Forensic essays.
1.
2.
Discuss difficulties which may be encountered when researching witness appeal. (15)
Assess the strengths and limitations of research into interviewing witnesses to a crime. (15).
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This type of question is asking you to evaluate the research.
Question one all your main points need to address difficulties and your slap backs are how to
overcome the difficulties.
Question two you need three main points (one a strengths, one a weakness and a final point
can be either) and three slap backs.
All using PCEC
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Step One: Work out the different areas you need to cover in your essay. Remember we always do
three!
Attractiveness of Defendant
Witness Confidence
Effects of Shields and Video on
Children giving Evidence
Step Two: Link each topic to an issue/method/debate to the research
Attractiveness of Defendant
Witness Confidence
Effects of Shields and Video
on Children giving Evidence
Step Three: Now choose three main points from your chart and them match them with a slap back.
Remember it does not have to be the same study.
Attractiveness of Defendant
Witness Confidence
Effects of Shields and Video
on Children giving Evidence
Step Four: It’s time to get writing!
P A difficulty of the research into witness appeal is that the research is ethnocentric. This is a difficulty
because….
P A strength of research into interviewing witnesses is… This a strength because…
G543: 15 Mark Outline
This is a fool proof guide to answering most 15 mark Forensic essays.
1. Evaluate the application of research into what influences reaching a verdict in court. (15)
2. Evaluate the usefulness of research into the psychological effects of imprisonment. (15)
3. Assess the effectiveness of offender treatment programmes. (15)
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Question one is asking you to evaluate the research whereas question two is evaluating the
approach.
Your three main points (one a useful/easy to apply and effectiveness, one not useful/easy to
apply and effectiveness and a final point can be either) and three slap backs.
All using PCEC
Step One: Work out the different areas you need to cover in your essay. Remember we always do
three!
Stages in Decision Making
Majority Influence
Minority Influence
Step Two: Link each topic to an issue/method/debate to the research that makes the research both
easy and not easy to apply, useful or effective
Stages in Decision Making
Majority Influence
Minority Influence
Step Three: Now choose three main points from your chart and them match them with a slap back.
Remember it does not have to be the same study.
Stages in Decision Making
Majority Influence
Minority Influence
Step Four: It’s time to get writing!
P A reason why the research into reaching a verdict is easy to apply to real life is because…. This makes the
research easy to apply because…..
P A reason why the research into reaching a verdict is useful is because…. This makes the research easy to
useful because…..
G543: 15 Mark Outline
This is a fool proof guide to answering most 15 mark Forensic essays.
Assess the reliability of offender profiling. (15)
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Question one is asking you to evaluate the reliability of the approach not the research.
What does reliability mean? If we were to carry out this approach again on the same crime
scene would arrive at the same profile?
One main point on Top Down approach on why it is reliable and not reliable, one main point
on Bottom Up approach on why it is reliable and not reliable, third main point can be one
approach on its’ own or a combination of the two. Of course all three main points need a slap
back.
All using PCEC
Step One: Work out the different areas you need to cover in your essay. Remember we always do
three!
Top Down
Bottom Up
Top Down/Bottom up
Step Two: Link each topic to reasons why that approach is reliable or unreliable.
Top Down
Bottom Up
Top Down/Bottom up
Step Three: Now choose three main points from your chart and them match them with a slap back.
Remember it does not have to be the same study.
Top Down
Bottom Up
Top Down/Bottom up
Step Four: It’s time to get writing!
P A reason why the top down approach is not reliable is because…. This makes the top down approach not
reliable because…..
G543: 15 Mark Outline
This is a fool proof guide to answering most 15 mark Forensic essays.
Evaluate the validity of research into cognitive explanations of criminal behaviour. (15)
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You need to work out the validity strength and weaknesses of each piece of research.
Three main points (one a strengths, one a weakness and a final point can be either) and three
slap backs.
All using PCEC
Step One: Work out the different areas you need to cover in your essay. Remember we always do
three!
Step Two: Link each topic to: internal validity, external validity and ecological.
Step Three: Now choose three main points from your chart and them match them with a slap back.
Remember it does not have to be the same study.
Step Four: It’s time to get writing!
P A reason why the research into cognitive explanations as to why people turn to crime is high in validity is
because the research has good internal validity. This is a strength because….
G543: 15 Mark Outline
This is a fool proof guide to answering most 15 mark Forensic essays.
Compare the strengths of different offender treatment programmes. (15)
Compare different approaches to creating a profile. (15)
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In the above questions you are focussing on the approach not the research.
Three main points (one a similarity, one a difference and a final point can be either).
Your slap back is not really a slap back as it will only be demonstrating the similarity or
difference
All using PCEC
Step One: Work out the different areas you need to cover in your essay. Remember we always do
three!
Step Two: Take each topic and come up with issues/methods/debates/usefulness/application that are
comparison points between different treatment point. (Both have high success rates)
Similarity
Difference
Step Three: Now choose three main points from your chart.
Similarity
Difference
Step Four: It’s time to get writing!
P A similarity between anger management and ear acupuncture is that….. In anger management……….
Slap back: Similarly ear acupuncture is….. In ear acupuncture…
G543: 15 Mark Outline
This is a fool proof guide to answering most 15 mark Forensic essays.
1. Assess the usefulness of qualitative and quantitative data when creating a profile. (15)
2. Discuss qualitative and quantitative approaches to collecting information when
interviewing witnesses. (15)
3. Evaluate the use of qualitative and quantitative data when researching imprisonment. (15)
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You need to look at the question to see if you are evaluating data in regards to the research
or the approach.
When talking about approach you need to decide firstly if the approach is qualitative,
quantitative or both
Three main points (one a strengths/usefulness, one a weakness/usefulness and a final point
can be either) and three slap backs.
All using PCEC
Step One: Work out the different areas you need to cover in your essay. Remember we always do
three!
Step Two: Decide if the approach is qualitative or quantitative and make a list of st/wk of the data
that can be linked to the approach.
Step Three: Now choose three main points from your chart and them match them with a slap back.
Step Four: It’s time to get writing!
P A strength of the qualitative top down approach to offender profiling is that in depth data about the crime
scene is analysed. This is a strength as it makes the top down approach more valid and therefore, able to
create accurate profiles of an individual.