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MCJ 5532, Research Methods in Criminal Justice Administration 1

Course Learning Outcomes for Unit III Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

2. Evaluate the key concepts associated with multiple methods of collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and reporting defensible research results. 2.1 Evaluate the relationship between key findings of existing scholarly research in the field of

criminal justice and a proposed study on a related criminal justice topic.

5. Outline the major steps in empirical research in criminal justice.

8. Analyze the phases involved with writing a criminal justice research report.

Reading Assignment Chapter 5: Survey Research: Questionnaires Chapter 6: Survey Research: Interviews and Telephone Surveys

Unit Lesson As we learned in previous units, there are multiple ways to collect the data. One of the most popular methods of collecting data is survey research. This widely used technique allows the researcher to collect a variety of information from study participants, regardless of whether the identity of the participants is known. Questionnaires, interviews, and telephone surveys are three primary forms of survey research. Questionnaires There are many ways to develop a questionnaire. However, there are some rules and guidelines that exist to help a researcher develop questionnaires that will properly collect the data that he or she needs to address the research questions. Most of the guidelines focus on the wording and construction of questionnaires. When developing a questionnaire, one should be aware of the question types. Wording configurations that should be avoided include biased or leading questions, double-barreled questions, questions asked objectively, assumptions regarding the respondent’s knowledge regarding issues, vague wording, collecting excessive information, and “response set” (Hagan, 2014). The organization of the questionnaire is also important. Questionnaires should normally begin with questions that focus on the study topic and how they sit with demographic type questions such as age, race/ethnicity, income, and occupation. For example, if you were interested in looking at the relationship in the number of children involved in community policing activities, then make sure the survey begins with questions that ask specifically about their level of involvement in the community and/or the extent of their interaction with police in the community. Then, end a survey by asking them questions about their family such as how many people are in their household, how many of those people are children, and what are the ages of the children in the household? The manner in which the questionnaire is administered is also important. Questionnaires can be given directly to the participant, mailed to the participant, and electronically provided to the participant (e.g., link or QSR code). Mail surveys are a very popular method of administering questionnaires. The resource commitment (time and money) is often minimal, and it can obtain the responses from a representative sample and reach a large geographic area. However, mail surveys have a high nonresponse rate. Some researchers have found that because so many organizations utilize mail surveys, potential respondents are no longer willing to take the time to complete the surveys. Researchers have also found that there are some ways to increase the

UNIT III STUDY GUIDE

Survey Research

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response rate for mail surveys: multiple follow-ups, offering rewards or incentives appealing to participants’ altruism, using an attractive format, obtaining sponsorship, acquiring endorsements, personalizing the survey, using a short format, and good timing (Hagan, 2014). Self-report surveys gather data from respondents concerning the various behaviors that they have engaged in, which is the data-gathering method used by the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). There are some concerns associated with the use of self-report surveys such as inaccurate reporting, issues with instrumentation and research designs, and concerns about the appropriateness of selected subjects or settings. In spite of these weaknesses, self-report studies have several strengths (related to validity and reliability) that have been documented by researchers. For example, researchers have found that self-report surveys can be reliable in that they measure what they say they measure and are valid to the extent that the people being surveyed tell the truth about the behaviors they are reporting. Data collected from self-report surveys can also be checked against official records, other observers, polygraph validation, known group validation, life skills, measures of internal consistency, and interviews. Internet surveys are another way of administering a questionnaire. Internet surveys have two primary forms: email and web-based. However, as the use of the Internet continues to expand the options for conducting surveys, Internet surveys will also continue to expand (e.g., camera-based and VoIP telephone service). Internet surveys have many advantages. These include the ability to obtain a 100% response rate for specialized populations, reaching large sample sizes, faster and cheaper dissemination and collection than telephone surveys, and the ability to provide instant results to respondents. However, there are some disadvantages to Internet surveys such as high-design and programming costs, limited availability to respondents with email accounts, limitations for respondents with no Internet access, and concerns about the ability to maintain anonymity and/or confidentiality. With these concerns in mind, researchers who use Internet surveys should follow the same question development guidelines that are used in any other form of survey construction. They should incorporate the electronic tools available such as simple survey design templates and survey completion invitation options (banner ads on websites, email invitations) to design and disseminate Internet surveys. Interviews Interviews are a method of collecting information face-to-face. Interviews can be long or short, and can be conducted on a one-on-one basis or with a large group. Interviews can be broken down into three primary forms: structured, unstructured, and depth. As with any data gathering technique, interviews have their advantages and disadvantages. Some of the advantages of interviews include high-response rate, personal contact between the researcher and the interviewee, use of audiovisual aids, and the ability for the interviewer to use his or her discretion in selecting an interviewee. One of the primary disadvantages of interviews is the interviewer effect: The interviewer may intentionally or unintentionally introduce bias into the interview. Interviews also can be very costly, require a large staff, and can be very time-consuming. Thus, when using an interview method of data collection, the interviewer must incorporate as many checks and balances as possible to minimize the disadvantages. These techniques include use of the randomize response technique (RRT), training interviews, appropriately arranging the interview, maintaining the proper demeanor during the interview, using the appropriate interview structure, and using various interview accuracy checks. Researchers can also use computer technology to assist in conducting interviews and analyzing the data. This includes techniques such as computer-assisted programming interviewing (CAPI), continuous audience response technology (CART), and statistical packages for the social sciences (SPSS) (Hagan, 2014). Telephone Surveys These surveys are in some ways similar to interviews in that the researcher can personally communicate with the study participant and can use his or her discretion in selecting the participants. Also, some of the advantages of telephone surveys include the potential elimination of field staff, simpler ways to monitor interviewer bias, low costs, minimal time requirements, low nonresponse rates, and inexpensive follow-up. Telephone surveys also have disadvantages that include “difficulty in obtaining in-depth responses” and “high refusal rates” (Hagan, 2014, pp. 161-162). There are some computer techniques that can be used to help combat some of the disadvantages associated with telephone surveys such as computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CAT) and random digital dialing. One should remember that just as the research question drives the methodology used to conduct a study, the research question also dictates the content of any data-gathering tool used to collect information about the

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study’s topic. Therefore, survey research in the form of questionnaires, interviews, and telephone surveys is one of the many ways in which researchers can obtain data related to their research topic.

Reference

Hagan, F. E. (2014). Research methods in criminal justice and criminology (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Suggested Reading The following articles discuss survey research as mentioned in the lesson. You are highly encouraged to review the information in these articles. In order to access the resources below, you must first log into the myCSU Student Portal and access the Criminal Justice database within the CSU Online Library. Bradley, J., Rajaram, S., Moses, S., Gowda, G. C., Pushpalatha, R., Ramesh, B. M., . . . Alary, M. (2013).

Female sex worker client behaviors lead to condom breakage: A prospective telephone-based survey in Bangalore, South India. AIDS and Behavior, 17(2), 559-67.

Langhinrichsen-Rohling, J., Arata, C., O'Brien, N., Bowers, D., & Klibert, J. (2006). Sensitive research with

adolescents: Just how upsetting are self-report surveys anyway? Violence and Victims, 21(4), 425- 44.

Oltmanns, T. F., Rodrigues, M. M., Weinstein, Y., Gleason, M. E., & J. (2014). Prevalence of personality

disorders at midlife in a community sample: Disorders and symptoms reflected in interview, self, and informant reports. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 36(2), 177-188.

Pequegnat, W., Simon Rosser, B.R., Bowen, A. M., Bull, S. S., DiClemente, R. J., Bockting, W. O., . . .

Zimmerman, R. (2007). Conducting Internet-based HIV/STD prevention survey research: Considerations in design and evaluation. AIDS and Behavior, 11(4), 505-21.

Learning Activities (Nongraded) Nongraded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. You do not have to submit them. If you have questions, contact your instructor for further guidance and information. You may complete one, two, or all of the non-graded learning activities. Hopefully, these activities will not only help you to review the research methods key concepts utilized in this unit, but they will also demonstrate how research methods are applicable to our day-to-day activities (personal and professional). There are several key concepts associated with research methods that most people do not use on a daily basis. However, understanding these concepts is integral to understanding how research methods relate to what we do on a day-to-day basis and the correct use of research methodologies. Therefore, the following activity is designed to assist you in further exploring the research methods key concepts in this unit.

1. Briefly define the following concepts in one to two sentences. Remember, there are several key

concepts across multiple chapters, so it is important to ensure that the definitions are brief. The goal of this part of the activity is to get you to quickly recall what the key concepts represent and not spend a significant amount of time thoroughly researching the concepts. You would have already read the textbook and obtained the detailed information during your reading.

 Codebook

 Depth interviews

 Demand characteristics

 Interview effects

 Mail surveys

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 Major problems with interviews

 Major problems with questionnaires

 Major problems with victim surveys

 Programming

 Questionnaires

 Response rate

 Reverse record check

 Scenarios

 Screening questions

 Self-report surveys

 Structured interviews

 Survey research

 Telephone surveys

 Telescoping

 Then yes

 Unstructured interviews

 Victim surveys

 Ways to increase response rate

2. Take a few minutes to identify the key concepts that you recognize as being applicable to activities that you do on a daily basis. Next to each of those key concepts, quickly jot down those activities or contexts in which the key concepts are related. For example, if you define research as exploring topics that are of interest to you, then next to that key concept you might write the following activities: searching the Internet to find more information about a specific product, talking with members of the community about their reactions to a specific policy, or sightseeing and exploring in a historical area. If you define confidentiality as not releasing any identifiable information associated with a research participant, then next to confidentiality you might write activities such as not releasing student data, not releasing the name of the crime victim, or not releasing purchaser information.

3. Now that you are able to identify the research methods key concepts for this unit and how they are related to day-to-day activities as well as to the research methods process, pick a few key concepts and challenge yourself to use those key concepts in casual conversation throughout the week. Make note of the number of times you are able to correctly utilize the key concepts and if applicable, the response you received from others regarding the use of the key concepts.