Statistical And Quantitative Research Methods

Compare and contrast quantitative and qualitative methods on each of the elements listed. Please use scholarly, academic literature to support your response.

Maxfield and Babbie in their book “Research Methods for Criminal justice and Criminology” provide examples, applications, and study tools for students to learn how to conduct a research in criminal justice.

The issue of research has been an anxiety-provoking subject for many students in the field of criminal justice field because of the belief that the process is synonymous with statistics, which implies that criminal justice research is equated to mathematical procedures. Criminal justice students also shy away from studying research because of the misconception that the process is only an

Share your approach to synthesizing the evidence. What were the variables of interest you identified?

The most important part of describing the research process in criminology and criminal justice research methods consists of being familiar with terminology. The knowledge of proper terminology can be an asset when evaluating, and analyzing research studies or data. However, not knowing the proper terminology when conducting research could affect an officer’s report negatively. Those interested in the study of criminology and criminal justice has a wide range of research methods. Following the research process will strengthen the chance of obtaining a successful, well researched project.

Qualitative researchers are focused on interpreting and making sense out of what they observe rather than trying to simplify and quantify these observations by collecting and observing people, places and things in their natural setting. In doing this, researchers are able to investigate hypothesis with more freedom and rigidity while accepting the fact that they relinquish their ability to control direct and indirect elements of their query. What the lose in predictability, they gain in individuality. To put it simply, qualitative research is aimed at watching and explaining in order to develop a complete understanding of whatever phenomena they are

We use research methods in our every day life and not even know it. Research methods play a very important part in the life of someone who is in the criminology field. Without some of the research methods that we have, many cases would never get solved, and they would be in the cold case files. In this paper, I will discuss new terminology and how it helps one who is in the criminology field.

For some criminological researchers, adhere strictly to either qualitative or quantitative methodology. However, some criminological researchers argue that Qualitative and quantitative methods are complimentary rather than competitive approaches. It is sufficient that a study involving qualitative

There has always been a discussion as to which method of study was better: quantitative, or qualitative. The quantitative approach focuses more on quantifying data and generalizing results from a sample to a population of interest. The use of quantitative methods is used for general features of a population and to measure the incidence of various views and opinions in a chosen sample. Qualitative methods are used to gain an understanding of underlying reasons and motivations. This type of method provides an insight into the setting of a problem. This can be used to generate ideas for later quantitative research. It is being argued that quantitative criminology is no longer required and this method is dead. To understand why people commit crimes, the best way to conclude this would be to switch to a more qualitative approach. Although this may be true in some cases, I do not completely agree with these two statements. I disagree with the statement about the quantitative approach being “dead,” however, I do agree with the statement about switching to a more qualitative approach to fully understand why people commit crimes. However, incorporating the quantitative approach and qualitative approach into one study will result in a thorough conclusion. This paper will explain the quantitative and qualitative approaches in research, discussing the positive and negative aspects of each approach, along with including how a combination of these approaches in a study will result in the

In conclusion the discussion of how to conduct an accurate and sufficient research process as well as the steps to take. I also spoke of research terminology as it will apply to a career in criminal justice. The knowledge of knowing the proper terminology, and how it affects criminal justice research, as well as how it is an asset in evaluating, and analyzing research studies or data. Many of the terms used are also used in day to day conversations and may have a different meaning to researchers as it would to say a person in the medical field or the financial field. All in all this is a small sample of what the process of research takes and the outcome of the facts gathered by the researchers.

I analyzed two different research studies, one quantitative and one qualitative, to compare and contrast both research methods. Qualitative research refers to an analysis method that collects descriptive (non-numerical) data, such as words, images, and objects, whereas quantitative research is used to test a hypothesis and look at the cause and effect of a prediction. Quantitative research collects numerical data or statistics from questionnaires and surveys, which are used to quantify attitudes, opinions, behaviors, and variables in an attempt to generalize the results.

A second reason why qualitative method is appropriate for investigating this question is that it gives the researcher the opportunity to serve as instrument for collecting data either by examining previous or current documents on the issue, observing the behaviour of participants or by interviewing the Creswell (2009, pp.175-6). This points out that the researcher is immersed and in direct contact during the data collection.

The scientific method is an organized way of figuring something out and normally includes six parts (Galgas, 2014). The first step is to state my purpose. For example, for this assignment, my purpose would be to examine the psychological factors affecting how teenagers in an impoverished urban area spend their time outside of school. Second is my research. For my assignment, I would find out as much information on the area as possible. For example, I would talk to teachers to see what kind of after school programs are available and I would talk to the community to find out what kind of community programs are

The quantitative and qualitative approaches have been proven to have been struggling for power to criminal justice and criminological research. These strategies are only devices to help social researchers comprehend their general surroundings. The debate concerning which approach is extraordinary turned out to be genuine in its outcomes as the quantitative methodology has increased high ground in the control.

Quantitative research investigates social phenomenon through the employment of statistics, mathematical procedures or computational measurement (Given, 2008). Quantitative methods are considered “deductive in nature, in the sense that inferences from tests of statistical hypotheses lead to general inferences about characteristics of a population” (Harwell, 2011, p. 149). Quantitative data are usually in the form of numbers, percentages or various types of statistics. Often times, quantitative research is aimed at testing hypotheses on the particular cases studied. Quantitative research is assumed more scientific since quantitative researchers believe that numerical and statistical data are unbiased, more reliable, and can be generalized to bigger population. In other words, quantitative research is defined as a design to “show how all of the major parts of the research project—the samples or groups, measures, treatments or programs, and methods of assignment—work together to try to address the central research questions” (Trochim & Land, 1982, p. 1). Conclusions are drawn from the analysis and interpretation of data collected from samples are further discussed by researcher(s) and decided by readers to which degree the findings are