5.3 Paper

Getting Started

In the final assignment, you will submit your final capstone research paper. Throughout this course, you have completed all the necessary steps to complete a research study. At this time, you will apply the final touches in preparing a properly formatted research study, including APA style components. This study will display the results of a thorough analysis of an issue in criminal justice or homeland security.

First, take the time to evaluate your capstone research paper alongside a list of required criteria.  This will give you an opportunity to make any necessary modifications as you conclude your paper for final submission.

You have integrated the academic knowledge gained throughout this program with a selected topic of research, as well as a proposed solution to a problem within the criminal justice system.  You have applied ethical research principles and related how a biblical perspective can be applied within the field of criminal justice.

Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to:

· Evaluate your capstone research paper alongside a list of required criteria.

· Write a scholarly research paper that addresses a current issue within criminal justice or homeland security, or supports a current practice that is utilized in contemporary times.

· Apply ethical research principles.

Resources

· Textbook: Research Methods in Criminal Justice and Criminology

· File: Chapter 11.ppt

· Website: IWU Resources

· File: Research Paper Criteria.docx

Background Information

During your research review, your first task should be to ensure that the problem statement is framed in an open–ended way, with the inclusion of empirical questions that directly align to your study.

All research questions should be strong in content, thoughtful, answerable, and must match your research study design and methodology. Also, the research questions must be directly associated with how your data will be collected from the sample population used in your study.   

This assignment allows you to use specifically selected readings to thoroughly conclude your research study and ensure the proper alignment of all research principles. The textbook resources exhibit information that directly connects to the final areas you will address, including, but not limited to, procedures that may apply to your data analysis plan. This includes patterns or themes retrieved and developed based on the responses received from your interview of your sample population. Finally, consider the importance in communicating to your audience how this study could assist future systemic endeavors in criminal justice.

Instructions

1. Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.

2. In preparation for this assignment:

a. Review Chapter 11, "Policy Analysis and Evaluation Research" in Research Methods in Criminal Justice and Criminology, the textbook used for the course CRJ–467 Research Methods and Analysis in Criminal Justice.

b. Download and review the  Chapter 11.ppt   presentation.

3. Download the  Research Paper Criteria.docx   file. Use this document to review and evaluate your capstone research paper in progress against the required criteria. Is your work on each section of the paper satisfactory, or does it need improvement?

4. As you review your paper, check to make sure that:

a. The problem statement is framed in an open–ended way, with empirical questions so open that your study helps to answer them.

b. Research questions are strong, answerable, and match your research study design and methodology (the case study, which is the design portion of the qualitative method).

c. All proposed questions have associated data collection strategies.

d. You have provided a clear description of your sampling criteria without too many disparate variables; it should be clear who is being interviewed, and why!

e. You provide a thorough discussion of your analytic process, which is qualitative in nature, further explaining how the data was collected and then interpreted. 

5. Before completing your research paper, review an example of an APA paper. Go to the IWU Resources link under the Course Dashboard.

a. Visit the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL) website; look for the link entitled "Sample APA Sample" and click on it.

6. Prepare a 10–page research paper on your selected research topic in criminal justice or homeland security. Note: the body content of your paper should be 10 pages. This does not include the title page.

7. Begin your paper with a title page. Present your abstract as page two of your paper.

8. Include the following sections in your research paper, adhering to proper research techniques and methods:

a. Section 1: Introduction and Research Problem (this includes your thesis statement)

b. Section 2: Literature Review

c. Section 3: Methodology (QUALITATIVE) (design is a Case Study)

d. Section 4: Analysis and Presentation of Findings

e. Section 5: Discussion and Conclusion

9. APA in–text citations and references should be used for all references made in your writing.