Category: Writing

1. Run a frequency of each of the three indicators again.
Do you notice anything about V7330_r’s coding compared to the others? Why was
it coded that way? HINT: Think about the math in Exercise 2a.
2. What do high scores on this measure reflect? Low scores?

State a problem for research related to a criminological
topic or issue of interest to you. Write down as many questions as you can
about this topic.
1. Considering your interest, your opportunities, and the
work of others, which of your research questions does not seem feasible or
interesting?
2. Pick out one question that seems feasible and that your
other coursework suggests has been the focus of prior research or theorizing.
Write this research question in one sentence. Elaborate on your question in a
single paragraph. List at least three reasons why it is a good research question
to investigate.

1. Let’s use those three measures together to get a more
thorough measure of that concept. This process is called scale construction.
1. First, tabulate all three measures. There are two ways we
can compute a scale. One method is to add up all the indicators; the other is
to take their average. In this case, we will take the average. This is because
we can take an average score even when someone missed a question—we cannot add
them up unless respondents answered all three items.
1. Select transform->compute
2. Enter the following into the “numeric expression” field
and then press OK: MEAN.2(V7329, V7330_r, V7333). This syntax can be read as
“take the average of these three variables if at least two of the three items
have been completed.”

Both some homeland security practices and inadvertent
releases of web search records have raised new concerns about the use of
unobtrusive measures of behavior and attitudes. If all identifying information
is removed, do you think criminologists should be able to study who is stopped
by police for traffic violations? What types of books are checked out in
libraries in different communities? The extent of use of pornography in
different cities by analyzing store purchases? How much alcohol different types
of people use by linking credit card records to store purchases?
SPSS or Excel exercises
Take a look at the descriptions for V7329, V7330_r, and
V7333. Do they appear to have anything in common? What kind of concept might
they be measuring?

1.Develop measurement operations for each variable. Several
measures should be single questions and indexes that were used in prior
research. (Search the web and the journal literature in Sociological Abstracts
or PsycINFO.) Make up a few questions and one index yourself. Ask classmates to
answer these questions and give you feedback on their clarity.
2. Propose tests of reliability and validity for four of the
measures.
Web Exercises

List at least 10 variables that will be measured in your
research. No more than two of these should be sociodemographic indicators such
as race or age. The inclusion of each variable should be justified in terms of
theory or prior research that suggests it would be an appropriate independent
or dependent variable or will have some relation to either of these.

Are important concepts in criminological research always
defined clearly? Are they defined consistently? Search the literature for six
articles that focus on violent crime, intimate partner violence, domestic
violence, or some other concept suggested by your instructor. Is the concept
defined clearly in each article? For example, some researchers still use the
term domestic violence when they are referring to intimate partner violence,
while others use it to describe all violence that occurs in a home, including
sibling-to-sibling violence and other forms of violence. How similar are the
definitions? Write what you have found in a short report.

1.Write one page for the application to the IRB that
explains how you will ensure that your research adheres to each relevant ASA
standard.
2. Draft a consent form to be administered to your subjects
when they enroll in your research. Use underlining and margin notes to indicate
where each standard for informed consent statements is met.
Web Exercises

List the elements in your research plans that an IRB might
consider to be relevant to the protection of human subjects. Rate each element
from 1 to 5, where 1 indicates no more than a minor ethical issue and 5
indicates a major ethical problem that probably cannot be resolved.