Be EXTREMELY thorough! No plagiarism please. You MUST use my text book! List all references and cite in text. This instructor is extremely picky! Question 2 has been changed. See below.
List the questions in the paper and then answer each one…. example…
1. list question here
Answer here.
2. list question here
answer here. and so on!
Overview
As you learned in Chapter 2 of The Mismeasure of Crime, data was first measured in this century, and the measurement of social phenomena and crime has grown and evolved over time into a much more sophisticated process of data collection and analysis. For example, the first known form of data collected was from censuses. This data collection originally began as a form of tax and military assessment thousands of years ago. The type of data and methods of data collection have since evolved into the more sophisticated examples seen today, such as the development of the UCR, which has resulted in a comprehensive database of crime statistics.
For this assignment, you will use the data in Exhibit 2.5 of Chapter 2 in your Mismeasure of Crime text as a basis for your submission. Exhibit 2.5 provides you with the homicide rate data for a sample of large U.S. cities for the years 1880–1915. Choose any three cities represented to perform a comparative analysis of the historical data.
Instructions
- Based on your reading of the Hernon and Schwartz article What Is a Problem Statement?, draft a narrowly focused problem statement that can be examined using appropriate criminal justice research methods for the data presented.
- Compare the 1880 and 1915 homicide rates in Exhibit 2.5 of Chapter 2 in your Mismeasure of Crime text to the most recent UCR homicide rates for the cities chosen. Retrieve the rates from the FBI’s UCR site, linked in the Resources.
- Analyze whether the current rates are higher or lower.
- Explain factors that might account for the differences.
Requirements
- Written communication: Must be free of errors that detract from the overall message.
- Resources and citations: Format according to APA guidelines.
- Required page count: 5, not including the cover page or the references page.
- Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.
Study guide:
Hernon and Schwartz’s 2007 article “What Is a Problem Statement?” in Library and Information Science Research, volume 29, issue 3, pages 307–309.
FBI’s UCR link: https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s
Problem Statement:
A research problem is a definite or clear expression [statement] about an area of concern, a condition to be improved upon, a difficulty to be eliminated, or a troubling question that exists in scholarly literature, in theory, or within existing practice that points to a need for meaningful understanding and deliberate investigation. A research problem does not state how to do something, offer a vague or broad proposition, or present a value question.
Bryman, Alan. “The Research Question in Social Research: What is its Role?” International Journal of Social Research Methodology 10 (2007): 5-20
_______
The purpose of a problem statement is to:
- Introduce the reader to the importance of the topic being studied. The reader is oriented to the significance of the study.
- Anchors the research questions, hypotheses, or assumptions to follow. It offers a concise statement about the purpose of your paper.
- Place the topic into a particular context that defines the parameters of what is to be investigated.
- Provide the framework for reporting the results and indicates what is probably necessary to conduct the study and explain how the findings will present this information.
So What!
In the social sciences, the research problem establishes the means by which you must answer the “So What?” question. This question refers to a research problem surviving the relevancy test [the quality of a measurement procedure that provides repeatability and accuracy]. Note that answering the “So What?” question requires a commitment on your part to not only show that you have reviewed the literature, but that you have thoroughly considered its significance and its implications applied to obtaining new knowledge or understanding.
To survive the “So What” question, problem statements should possess the following attributes:
- Clarity and precision [a well-written statement does not make sweeping generalizations and irresponsible pronouncements; it also does include unspecific determinates like “very” or “giant”],
- Demonstrate a researchable topic or issue [i.e., feasibility of conducting the study is based upon access to information that can be effectively acquired, gathered, interpreted, synthesized, and understood],
- Identification of what would be studied, while avoiding the use of value-laden words and terms,
- Identification of an overarching question or small set of questions accompanied by key factors or variables,
- Identification of key concepts and terms,
- Articulation of the study’s boundaries or parameters or limitations,
- Some generalizability in regards to applicability and bringing results into general use,
- Conveyance of the study’s importance, benefits, and justification [i.e., regardless of the type of research, it is important to demonstrate that the research is not trivial],
- Does not have unnecessary jargon or overly complex sentence constructions; and,
- Conveyance of more than the mere gathering of descriptive data providing only a snapshot of the issue or phenomenon under investigation.
NEW QUESTION 2
There is an issue with question 2, Assignment 1 below. The problem here is the crime data from 1800 to 1915 give us the Homicide Arrest Rates. The Uniform Crime Report gives us Homicide Rates. Thus, you can’t make a comparison here UCRs and the 1800s data without additional information.
The new Q2 is:
What additional information would you need to compare historical Homicide rates with current UCR reported homicide rates? Using the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) Summaries or compare the homicide rates in the cities you have selected for a 10-year period.
Scoring Guide
| Criteria | Non-performance | Basic | Proficient | Distinguished |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draft a narrowly focused issue that can be examined using appropriate criminal justice research methods. 22% |
Does not draft a narrowly focused problem statement that can be examined using appropriate criminal justice research methods. | Partially drafts a narrowly focused problem statement that can be examined using appropriate criminal justice research methods. | Drafts a narrowly focused problem statement that can be examined using appropriate criminal justice research methods. | Drafts a narrowly focused problem statement that can be examined using appropriate criminal justice research methods, fully developing the implications of the problem. |
| Compare historical homicide rates to recent UCR homicide rates for selected cities. 23% |
Does not compare historical homicide rates to recent UCR homicide rates for selected cities. | Lists some of the historical homicide rates and recent UCR homicide rates for selected cities. | Compares historical homicide rates to recent UCR homicide rates for selected cities. | Compares historical homicide rates to recent UCR homicide rates for selected cities, fully developing the comparison in the data. |
| Analyze current homicide rate data in comparison to historical data. 22% |
Does not analyze current homicide rate data in comparison to historical data. | Partially analyzes current homicide rate data in comparison to historical data. | Analyzes current homicide rate data in comparison to historical data. | Analyzes current homicide rate data in comparison to historical data with detailed connections within the data and the implications. |
| Explain factors that might account for differences in current and historical homicide rates. 23% |
Does not explain factors that might account for differences in current and historical homicide rates. | Lists factors that might account for differences in current and historical homicide rates. | Explains factors that might account for differences in current and historical homicide rates. | Explains factors that might account for differences in current and historical homicide rates that are fully supported by the data. |
| Communicate effectively in writing. 10% |
Does not communicate effectively in writing. | Communicates in writing in a manner that is not fully articulate in form, format, or content. | Communicates effectively in writing. | Communicates in an exemplary manner in form, format, and content throughout the entire submission. |
