CCJ 4700-RESEARCH METHODS (U02) / Fall 2017*

Department of Criminal Justice

Florida International University

Professor: Candice Blanfort, MS CRMJ

Office Hours: before/after class and by appointment
E-mail: cammons@fiu.edu
Office Phone: 305-348-5890
Class Meetings: DM 100, Tuesdays 2:00 PM 4:45 PM
Class Webpage: fiu.blackboard.com

Course Description

This course covers the fundamentals of research design, measurement, modes of

collecting data, and the ethical issues of conducting research.

Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes

After successful completion of this course students should be able to:

understand how scientific inquiry is separate from everyday inquiry

link criminological theories to research questions and research designs
understand similarities/differences between the multiple modes of research
understand conceptualization, operationalization, and measurement
understand and identify various sampling strategies
understand key ethical considerations in research

Course Expectations
My expectations of you:

Prepare for class before each class meeting by reading assigned material and
taking notes on assigned material before class
Come to class each week with print-outs of chapter outlines (or have them
accessible on a computer you bring to class for note-taking)
Attend class every week on time
Prepare for exams by utilizing chapter outlines and online discussion forums

What you can expect from me:

I will attend class each week on time

I will respond to your emails within 48 hours during business hours
I will grade exams and post scores within 1 week of each exam
Provide you with assistance or help if you ask for it

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 Required Materials

Maxfield, M.G., & Babbie, E. Research methods for

th
criminal justice and criminology (6 ed.). Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth Publishing.

Course Requirements

Readings. Chapters from the Maxfield and Babbie book shown above will be
assigned for each class (except test days). Students are expected to read and take
notes on the entirety of the assigned reading before attending class. Use of an
earlier edition of the textbook is not acceptable.

Exams (150 points). There will be 3 exams for this course. All material covered in
the book and in class is testable. Each exam will consist of a mixture of 50
multiple-choice questions (with none of the above/all of the above used
frequently), True/False questions, and fill-in-the-blank/short answer questions.
The first exam will be September 19. The second exam will be October 24.
The third exam will be November 28. You will have 90 minutes to complete
each exam once you begin them. Once the first student has handed in an exam, no
more exams will be handed out. Students coming late to the exam after this point
will be required to take an alternative, essay-based exam that will be prepared for
them. Make-ups will only be available under extreme circumstances, and only with
university-approved documentation.

Chapter Analysis (50 points). Students will be divided into ten groups. Each
group will be responsible for creating a chapter outline. To receive full credit, each
chapter outline must be a minimum of three pages (bulleted). Additionally, each
group will submit five possible test questions to me via email. The chapter outline
must be posted on Blackboard by Monday at 11:59 PM of the corresponding
week. Potential exam questions must be submitted, via email, by Monday at 11:59
PM (of the corresponding week) as well.

Attendance. Class participation and preparation are vitally important to your

academic success! It not only ensures you comprehend the material, but also helps
to develop relationships with your colleagues and professors. Therefore, I do not
give points for attending classis (as it is natural expectation). With that being said,
I strongly encourage you to befriend other students in the class so that if you
cannot attend class, for any reason, you may get and discuss the notes. Further, if
you are struggling with the class material, please be proactive and approach me for
help early in the semester so that I may best assist you. Coming to me at the end
of the semester will do you no good.
Extra Credit. There will be a single opportunity for extra credit in this course, and
it will be worth 5 points. Additional details will be provided to you after the second
exam and will be available on Blackboard.
Grading. Your course grade will be based on the following:

Exam #1: 50 points

Exam #2: 50 points
Exam #3: 50 points
Chapter Analysis: 50 points
Total: 200 points

The following grading scale will be used to determine your final course grade:

Grade Points Grade Points

A 180-200 C 140-151
B+ 172-179 D 120-139
B 160-171 F Below 120
C+ 152-159

Incomplete grades. An incomplete grade is a temporary symbol given at the

discretion of the instructor for work not completed because of serious interruption
not caused by the students own negligence. To be eligible, written university-
recognized documentation must be provided. The student also must have
successfully completed half of the coursework with a passing grade. An incomplete
must be made up as quickly as possible but no later than two consecutive
semesters after the initial taking of the course or it will automatically default to an
F or the grade that the student earned in the course. There is no extension of the
two semester deadline. The student must not register again for the course to make
up the incomplete.

Student misconduct. All students should respect the right of others to have an
equitable opportunity to learn and honestly to demonstrate the quality of their
learning. Therefore, all students are expected to adhere to a standard of academic
conduct, which demonstrates respect for themselves, their fellow students, and the
educational mission of the University. All students are deemed by the University to
understand that if they are found responsible for academic misconduct, including
plagiarism and cheating, they will be subject to the Academic Misconduct
procedures and sanctions, as outlined in the Student Handbook.

Classroom Expectations. The classroom is a place where all students and the
instructor should feel safe to express their thoughts and opinions without fear of
ridicule or insult from others. Any disrespect will not be tolerated. Please refrain
from reading newspapers, using your phone in any manner, surfing the internet,
chatting with others, etc. The instructor will always be on time, so it is reasonable
to expect students to be on time as well. Lateness is not only distracting to the
instructor but other students as well.
 Suggested Practices for Exam Preparation. Utilize the weekly PowerPoint
outline documents and learning objective documents that I post in Blackboard.
Review and organize your class notes after class. Also, utilize the chapter outlines
and online discussion forums. Make use of aids such as flash cards and create
acronyms for material that can be organized into lists or common themes. Study
with others and quiz each other on key concepts and issues. Additionally, I would
strongly encourage you to utilize the study tools available on the Cengage Book
Companion Site. For access, click here!

Communication. The best way to get in touch with me is through e-mail

(cammons@fiu.edu). Expectations for respectful behavior extend to emails. I will
usually respond to e-mails within 24 hours. When sending e-mail please identify
who you are and that you are in my class.

Students with Disabilities. If you have not already contacted the Disability
Resource Center please do so immediately. I will be happy to work with students
whose disabilities require accommodations.

Class Schedule*
Meeting Date Topic Readings
August 22 Introduction to Course and Syllabus Overview None
August 29 Scientific Inquiry and Theory M&B: Ch. 1 & Ch. 2
September 5 Concepts, Operationalization, and Measurement M&B: Ch. 5
September 12 Measuring Crime M&B: Ch. 6

September 19 Exam #1: M&B Ch. 1,2,5,6 None

September 26 Causation and Research Design M&B: Ch. 4
October 3 Experimental and Quazi-Experimental Designs M&B: Ch. 7
October 10 Sampling Designs M&B: Ch. 8
October 17 Survey Research M&B: Ch. 9

October 24 Exam #2: M&B Ch. 4,7,8,9 None

October 31 Field Research, Official Records, Content M&B: Ch. 10 & Ch. 11
Analysis, and Secondary Data
November 7 Evaluation Research M&B: Ch. 12

November 14 Ethical Issues in Research M&B: Ch. 3

November 21 STUDY DAY None

November 28 Exam #3: M&B Ch. 10,11,12,3 None

*Note: The instructor reserves the right to make changes or updates to the syllabus at any point
during the semester.