Category: Writing

Which of the following proposed studies would not be exempt
from federal regulations for research with human subjects?
a. A study comparing two methods of teaching reading in the
elementary schools of a district
b. A survey of the attitudes of college freshmen toward the
advising procedures at a university
c. A history of the School of Education at Indiana State
University
d. A study of the effectiveness of Ritalin in the treatment
of hyperactivity among elementary school children

You have now learned about the qualitative study by Madfis
(2014) that investigated schools that had averted mass shootings in school
shooting incidents. We think it provided important information for policymakers
about the social dynamics that may help prevent these tragedies. But what would
you do if you were conducting a similar study in a high school, and you learned
that a student was planning to bring a gun to school to kill some other
students? What if he was only thinking about it? Or talking with his friends
about how neat it would be? Can you suggest some guidelines for researchers?

Rewrite the following hypotheses, operationalizing all
variables:
a. Children who learn reading by the wholelanguage approach
read better than those taught by a traditional approach.
b. High school students who score above the top quartile of
the XYZ Mechanical Aptitude Test make better mechanics.
c. Scores on the math subtest of the SRA Achievement Test
for bright seventh-grade students who have been instructed with the inductive
math approach for 1 year will exceed scores of bright seventh-grade students
who have been instructed with a textbook-centered approach.

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?

For each of the following descriptions, indicate the type of
mixed method design used:
a. A quantitative review of elementary school discipline
records indicates that males are signifi cantly more likely to be sent to the
principal’s offi ce for behavior problems. The researcher decides to observe
classrooms to describe the types of behaviors that result in being sent to the
offi ce. Based on qualitative observations, the researcher believes that
teachers’ reactions to the same behavior exhibited by males and females tend to
be different. A quantitative measure of gender bias response is then given to
teachers.
b. A researcher conducts qualitative interviews with
teachers to assess how well they are implementing a new instructional strategy
that the school has adopted. During the same week, another researcher who is
part of the team conducts random observational assessments using a quantitative
tool to determine the frequency of use of the strategy. Both sets of data are
used to answer the research question about teacher changes in instruction.

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.

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

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.

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