Methodology Quantitative vs Qualitative vs Mixed Methods

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Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion *

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-467

Subject

Sociology

Date

Feb 20, 2024

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docx

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5

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1 Methodology – Quantitative vs. Qualitative vs. Mixed Methods DaWonda L Mack Indiana Wesleyan University CRJ-467-01B: Research Meth & Analysis CRJ Dr. Raymond K. Edwards February 13, 2024
2 Methodology – Quantitative vs. Qualitative vs. Mixed Methods In responding to the task, you must analyze the research topic, especially the variables, to identify a suitable research design. I suggest that you choose the mixed method. This will give you an idea of how to construct your answers to the questions. The highlighted words or phrases emphasize the keywords in the suggested responses. For Racial Bias in the Criminal Justice System, employing a mixed methods research design offers the most appropriate approach. This method integrates quantitative and qualitative methodologies, providing a multifaceted understanding of the intricate dynamics surrounding racial bias within the criminal justice system. Utilizing quantitative methods enables the analysis of extensive datasets, including arrest records, court proceedings, and sentencing outcomes, facilitating the identification of patterns and trends indicative of racial disparities. Statistical analyses can quantify the extent of racial bias by comparing arrest rates, conviction rates, and sentencing lengths across different racial groups. Additionally, quantitative surveys or questionnaires administered to criminal justice professionals, such as police officers, prosecutors, and judges, offer insights into their attitudes and perceptions regarding race and ethnicity within the criminal justice system. By using both quantitative and qualitative methods, like in-depth interviews or focus groups with people who have been affected, legal experts, and community stakeholders, researchers can put statistical results in context, look into how racial bias works at its core, and give voice to underrepresented groups that are affected by systemic injustices. This comprehensive approach ensures a holistic examination of racial bias in the criminal justice system, facilitating informed policy recommendations and interventions to promote fairness, equity, and accountability within the legal framework. Qualitative methods, on the other hand, could be used to explore the lived experiences of individuals who have been directly impacted by
3 racial bias within the criminal justice system. In-depth interviews or focus groups could be conducted with individuals from marginalized racial and ethnic groups to hear their stories, perspectives, and perceptions of how racial bias has affected their interactions with law enforcement, court proceedings, and incarceration experiences. Qualitative methods can provide rich, detailed insights into how racial bias operates within the criminal justice system and its impact on individuals' lives. Employing a mixed-methods approach for investigating racial bias in the criminal justice system offers several advantages. Firstly, this methodology enables researchers to comprehensively understand the phenomenon by integrating both quantitative and qualitative methods. While quantitative data provide statistical evidence of racial disparities, qualitative data offer invaluable insights into the lived experiences, perspectives, and perceptions of individuals directly impacted by the system. This dual perspective allows researchers to contextualize statistical findings within the broader socio-political and cultural context, shedding light on the underlying factors contributing to racial bias. Additionally, mixed-methods research facilitates the triangulation of data, where findings from different sources are compared and contrasted to corroborate and enrich the validity and reliability of the research outcomes. By combining quantitative and qualitative data three times, researchers can get around the problems with each data type and make the study's results more reliable and robust overall. This makes it easier to make policy suggestions and systemic changes that will help fix racial problems in the criminal justice system. While a mixed-methods approach offers numerous advantages for studying racial bias in the criminal justice system, it also presents certain disadvantages that warrant consideration. Firstly, conducting mixed-methods research can be inherently time-consuming and resource-
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