The final portion of the paper will consist of your setting up a hypothetical research
project to analyze the topic you chose for your literature review. Please keep in mind that
you do not actually have to perform the research, rather you are outlining how you would
undertake the project if you were to perform the research. So, for example, if your study
were to include a survey of 500 residents of a city, you would not have to survey these 500
residents, you would simply have to explain how those 500 would be selected.
• A good strategy is to adapt methodologies used in prior research to a context you
are familiar with. For instance, if you were to study the relationship between
arresting domestic violence offenders and recidivism, you may use the Minneapolis
Domestic Violence Experiment (and later replications) as a model, and then set up
a proposed study in your hometown or another locale you are familiar with.
• The proposed study should follow the steps of research design that we study during
the course and fully detail components such as:
conceptualization/operationalization, research setting, sampling strategy, data
collection methodology, and so on. A discussion of potential validity threats and
ethical considerations should be included as well.
• The purpose of this project is to give students an idea of the processes involved in
scientifically studying issues in criminology and how ‘true science’ differs from
information obtained through invalid methods. As will be demonstrated, much
information is disseminated to the public based on poor research methods or
anecdotal evidence, and such information is more readily available for consumption
because it is far easier to do ‘nonscience’ than it is to use rigorous scientific
methods.
All information in your paper that comes from another source MUST be cited in the text
of the paper with the author(s) last name and year of publication. Your paper should also
contain a full bibliography. A paper without these two important facets will receive a
failing grade.
