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Considering the true state of affairs, indicate whether the
researcher was correct or incorrect in the following interpretations of the
data:
a. The data analysis showed that the results were
statistically signifi cant ( p< .01).="" the="" researcher="" rejected="" the="" null="" hypothesis="" and="" accepted="" the="" alternative.="" (in="" reality,="" there="" is="" a="" genuine="" difference="" between="" the="" groups.)="">
b. The results were statistically signifi cant ( p< .001).="" the="" researcher="" rejected="" the="" null="" hypothesis="" and="" accepted="" the="" a="" lternative.="" (in="" reality,="" there="" is="" no="" difference.)="">
c. The results were not statistically signifi – cant. The
researcher retained the null hypothesis. (In reality, there is no difference
between the groups.)
d. The results were not statistically signifi – cant, and
the researcher failed to reject the null hypothesis. (In reality, there is a
difference between the groups.)

In a job interview with a principal you are asked the
following questions, “If a new immigrant with limited English proficiency were
assigned to your class, what would you do to help the student become acclimated
to your class? How would you support the student in his or her English language
learning?”

What criminological topic or issue would you focus on if you
could design a research project without any concern for costs? What are your
motives for studying this topic? List at least four of your beliefs about this
phenomenon. Try to identify the sources of each belief (e.g., television,
newspaper, parental influence).

1. Develop four research questions related to your chosen
topic or issue, one for each of the four types of research (descriptive,
exploratory, explanatory, and evaluative). Be specific.
2. Read the abstracts of several articles in a recent issue
of a major criminological journal. Identify the type of research conducted for
each study (you can also find articles on the Student Study Site,
http://edge.sagepub.com/bachmanprccj7e
).

Find a report of social science research in an article in a
daily newspaper. What are the motives for the research? How much information is
provided about the research design? What were the major findings? What
additional evidence would you like to see in the article to increase your
confidence in the research conclusions?

1. Continue the debate between positivism and interpretivism
with an in-class discussion. Be sure to review the guidelines for these
research philosophies and the associated goals. You might also consider whether
an integrated philosophy is preferable.
2. Outline your own research philosophy. You can base your
outline primarily on your reactions to the points you have read in this
chapter, but try also to think seriously about which perspective seems more
reasonable to you.
Developing a Research Proposal

1.What topic would you focus on if you could design a social
research project without any concern for costs? What are your motives for
studying this topic?
2. Develop four questions that you might investigate about
the topic you selected. Each question should reflect a different research
motive: description, exploration, explanation, or evaluation. Be specific.

Which question most interests you? Would you prefer to
attempt to answer that question with quantitative or qualitative methods? Why?
Web Exercises

You have been asked to prepare a brief presentation on a
criminological topic or issue of interest to you. Go to the BJS website
(https://www.bjs.gov/). Browse the BJS publications for a topic that interests
you. Write a short outline for a 5- to 10-minute presentation regarding your
topic, including how the data were collected, statistics, and other relevant
information.

Go to the FBI website (http://www.fbi.gov). Explore the
types of programs and initiatives sponsored by the FBI. Discuss at least three
of these programs or initiatives in terms of their purposes and goals. For each
program or initiative examined, do you believe the program or initiative is
effective? What are the major weaknesses? What changes would you propose the
FBI make to more effectively meet the goals of the program or initiative?