CRIMINAL JUSTICE 301 Advanced Research Methods
Breland 172 10:20 – 11:35 Tuesday & Thursday
Professor: Jim Maupin, Ph.D.
Breland Hall #138, 646-3195, jmaupin@nmsu.edu
Office Hours: 8:30 – 10:00am T, W, TH and by appointment
TEXTBOOKS AND READING MATERIALS
Dowdall, George W., Earl Babbie, and Fred Halley (2000). Adventures in Criminal Justice Research: Data Analysis Using SPSSÒ for Windows. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.
Other materials as assigned by professor and posted to WebCT.
COURSE OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the course is to provide each student with basic training in the application of statistical analysis to research questions that you may encounter in “real life” criminal justice employment. For those contemplating graduate school, this course also serves as a foundation for the advanced statistical analysis encountered there. By the end of the semester you will be able to compute, interpret and use statistics in a painless manner.
The course covers basic social research concepts, a variety of statistical techniques, and training in the use of the SPSS statistical software package for conducting statistical analysis. A CD containing data sets to be used throughout the semester comes with your textbook. You will learn to work with the SPSS™ statistical software package to analyze these data sets. SPSS™ is available on most university computer lab CPUs. You may also purchase you own personal copy of SPSS™ through the NMSU bookstore if you desire.
EACH STUDENT IS INDIVIDUALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR INSURING THAT SHE/HE HAS ROUTINE ACCESS TO A COMPUTER SYSTEM, EITHER PERSONALLY OWNED, PROVIDED BY NMSU, OR OTHERWISE, THROUGHOUT THE SEMESTER.
EACH STUDENT IS ALSO INDIVIDUALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR LEARNING HOW TO ACCESS AND USE HER/HIS CHOSEN COMPUTER SYSTEM.
The professor will provide training in the classroom that corresponds with the textbook in working with the SPSS software package.
This course assumes that you understand and can work with basic algebraic techniques. This course will not teach algebra. If you suspect, or you find later in the semester that your algebra skill level is not sufficient for you to complete this course to your satisfaction, I suggest that you drop the course and take the necessary coursework to acquire that skill.
ATTENDANCE
ANY STUDENT ABSENT FROM TWO OF THE FIRST THREE CLASSES WILL BE ADMINISTRATIVELY DROPPED FROM THE COURSE UNLESS THE ENROLLMENT IS BELOW CAPACITY.
I am operating under the assumption that if you are enrolled in this course that your schedule is clear of any time conflicts (e.g. employment, other classes, etc.) for this course. Consequently, I expect all students to attend class regularly. I will take attendance at each class so that I might have an official record of each student’s attendance. If you miss a class you are solely and individually responsible for any material covered or announcements made during the class.
RULES OF CONDUCT
1. From time to time I understand that you will have the almost uncontrollable urge to say something to your neighbor(s). I do not demand that this conversation not take place, only that it becomes neither habitual nor disruptive to your peers or myself. If a particular situation persists even after I have had a discussion with the individual(s) involved in an effort to resolve the habitually disruptive situation, I reserve the right to administratively drop a student(s) from the course.
2. Tape recording of lectures is not allowed without receiving prior permission from me. Permission will be granted only in the situation of documented physical disabilities that require the tape recording of lectures as a means of successfully completing the course.
3. I expect each student to make every effort to arrive in class on time. If you are routinely unable to do so, please inform me of your particular situation.
4. I expect each student to stay in class until a decision has been made to adjourn the entire class. If you must leave early, please inform me of your particular situation.
5. Do not read newspapers, magazines, material for other courses, etc. during class.
6. Do not sleep in class.
7. Turn off cell phones during class. Texting or other cell phone use is not allowed
GRADING
The student EARNS grades. Grades are NOT GIVEN to the student by the professor. Your professor’s responsibility is to establish a framework that clearly specifies the professor’s expectation regarding the relationship between student performance and a specific grade. Furthermore, the student EARNS her or his grade incrementally each week throughout the ENTIRE SIXTEEN WEEKS OF THE SEMESTER. Grades are typically not dramatically improved during the final two weeks of the semester.
There are a total of 450 points for you to earn in this course. Your performance on three unit exams worth 100 points each, and numerous homework assignments worth 150 points will determine your grade.
Grades will be assigned based on the following scale
A = 450 – 403
B = 402 – 358
C = 359 – 313
D = 312 – 250
F = 249 – 000
THERE IS NO EXTRA CREDIT IN THIS COURSE!
Cheating on an exam, or any other assignment, will result in a zero (0) for that event.
Unless you are experiencing some documented health problem or tragic circumstance, I expect you to take exams and turn in your assignments on the announced dates. Make-up exams are allowed solely at my discretion. It is the responsibility of the student to seek and receive permission for a make-up exam prior to the exam to be missed, or immediately thereafter. Make-up exams will be different from the one administered during the scheduled time. Late assignments will receive a two (2) point deduction for each day late, including weekends and holidays.
Incomplete grades may be given only if a student has passed the first half of the course, and is precluded from successful completion of the course by a documented illness or family crisis that the instructor believes genuinely precluded successful completion of the course.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
Week 1, August 24
Course introduction and overview
Week 2, August 28
The Language of Statistics and the Research Process and becoming familiar with SPSS
Chapters 1 - 3
Week 3, September 4
Univariate Analysis
Chapters 4 - 5
Measures of Central Tendency
Week 4, September 11
Univariate Analysis, continued
Chapters 5 – 6
Measures of Dispersion
Week 5, September 18
Univariate Analysis, continued
Working with the Normal Curve
Review for Exam 1
Week 6, October 2
EXAM 1 - Thursday, October 5
Week 7, October 9
Bivariate Analysis
Chapter 7
Week 8, October 16
Probability Theory – The Z-Score
Bivariate Analysis, continued
Chapter 8
Week 9, October 23 Wednesday, March, 6, Last day to Withdraw from a course with a "W"
Probability Theory – The Confidence Interval
Week 10, October 30
Crosstabs – Chapter 7
Review for Exam 2
Week 11, November 6
EXAM 2 - Thursday, November 9
Week 12, November 13
Crosstabs – Chapter 8, Sections 8.1 & 8.2 and Chapter 9, Section 9.1
Week 13, November 20 – THANKSGIVING VACATION
Week 14, November 27
Pearsons’s r and the Coefficient of Determination – Chapter 8 Section 8.3
Week 15, December 4
Linear Regression – Chapter 8 Section 8.4
Course wrap-up and review
Week 16, December 11 – FINAL EXAM WEEK
FINAL EXAM SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY DECEMBER 14, 10:30AM – 12:30 PM
Students who find conflicts in their examination schedule must notify instructors before Thursday, October 26, 2006. Any students having more than three examinations scheduled in any one day may notify the instructor of the last examination listed and ask for alternate arrangements to be made for examination. (If the fourth exam is a departmental exam, the instructor of the third exam will make alternate arrangements.)
Students should know that faculty are not allowed to hold examinations lasting more than one class period during the last week of regular classes. In addition, faculty can only reschedule exams outside of the regularly scheduled exam period with the unanimous consent of the students and permission of the department head. Students who feel that their rights have been violated should contact the respective department head.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
If you have or believe you have a disability, you may wish to self-identify. You can do so by providing documentation to the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office at Garcia annex (phone: 646-6840; TTY 646-1918) to register. All medical information will be treated confidentially. If you have already registered, please make sure that your instructor receives a copy of the accommodation memorandum from SSD within the first two weeks of classes. It will be your responsibility to inform either your instructor of SSD representative (in a timely manner) if the services/accommodations provided are not meeting your needs.
If you have a condition that may affect your ability to exit safely from the premises in an emergency or that may cause an emergency during class, you are encouraged to discuss this in confidence with the instructor or Ms. Jane Spinti, SSD Coordinator.
Feel free to call Ms. Elva G. Telles, EEO/ADA & Employee Relations Director, at 646-3333 with any questions about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and/or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
NOTE
All statements contained in this syllabus are subject to change at the discretion of the professor. Your professor agrees to announce any changes to this syllabus verbally in class. It is the responsibility of the student to make note of announced changes to this syllabus.