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Introduction to Research on Contemporary Issues in Law Enforcement Management
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Term: Fall 2006
Course Title and Number: Introduction to Research LEMN 315
Instructor: Captain Thomas McMahon – Chicago Police Department (005th District)
Office: 514 Calumet College of St. Joseph
Office Phone: 312-747-8210
E-mail: mcmahonc@sbcglobal.net
Home Phone: 773-264-4243
Cell Phone: 773-401-4243
Office Hours: Before or After Class or by Appointment
Course Time: Wednesday 8:30 am– 12:30 pm at IIT or 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm at the Police Academy
: Students must attend at least 4 out of 5 classes
Course Description: This course assists students in developing their ability to utilize applied research techniques in law enforcement settings. Emphasis will be placed on problem identification, analysis of data, and the understanding of those analyses. A proposal paper on a selected topic will be required.
Learning Outcomes/ Competencies:
Students in this course will:
§ Develop skills that are fundamental in conducting research. These will include critical thinking, synthesizing information and communicating research results to their peers.
§ Demonstrate and practice the basic principles of research organization such as hypothesis formation, research design, data collection, analysis and interpretation.
§ Be able to write a brief research proposal by the end of the term.
Textbooks: Hagen, F. E. (2005). Essentials of Research Methods in Criminal Justice and Criminology.
Pearson. Boston, MA.
Johnson, W. A., Rettig, R.P, Scott, G.M., & Garrison, S.M. (2002). The Criminal Justice Student Writer's Manual (3rd Ed.). Prentice Hall. Upper Saddle River, NJ.
Learning Strategies: Lecturing, In-class Problem Solving, Class Discussions, and Collaborative Learning
Assessment:
Weekly Exams and Homework 40 % of grade
Research Proposal 40 % of grade
Attendance and Weekly Discussion on Topic Application(s) 20 % of grade
Class Policy for Assignments: Each week students will be assigned relevant homework assignments from the text. These will consist of review questions covering previous material covered from readings. They will be due next class period and will prepare the student for his/her weekly exam.
Class Policy for Exams: Students will have weekly exams covering the previous week's topic(s). A review will be given before the exam. Students at the end of the term may drop one exam.
Class Policy for Weekly Application: Students will be expected to bring in examples from the
workplace that illustrate the topics discussed in class when appropriate.
Class Policy for the Research Proposal: A research proposal will be due the last class period. It will consist of the following:
1. Choosing an area or topic that the student would be interested in researching
2. Formulating a hypothesis to investigate that area or topic
3. Proposing how they would design a method or way to collect data to answer the hypothesis
4. Proposing how they would analyze the data
5. Inferring the possible/potential outcome(s) of their "study"
The proposal should be 3-5 pages in length. A handout will be distributed Week 2 on the format of the proposal. Class time will be given to ask any questions or to work on it.
Course Outline:
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Class Dates: |
Reading Assignments: |
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Sept. 5, 2006 |
Introduction to Theory and Method (Chapter 1) and Research Design (Chapter 3) |
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Sept. 12, 2006 |
Research Design (Chapter 3) and Alternative Data Gathering Strategies (Chapter 4) |
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Sept. 19, 2006 |
Sampling and Survey (Chapter 5) and Scaling & Index (Chapter 10) |
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Sept. 26, 2006 |
Scaling and Index (Chapter 10) and Data Analysis (Chapter 11) |
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Oct. 3, 2006 |
Validity and Reliability (Chapter 9) |