CJ 498- Research Writing and Methodologies in Criminal Justice

Bethune –Cookman University
Daytona Beach, Florida
College of Liberal Arts
Department of Criminal Justice

Research Guidelines for

CJ 498- Research Writing and Methodologies in Criminal Justice

General Information
All students must demonstrate a satisfactory level of competence in reading, research, and writing as a prerequisite for graduation from Bethune-Cookman University. Criminal Justice majors must show that they have met this requirement by satisfactorily completing CJ 498 Research Writing and Methodologies in Criminal Justice.
The course is designed for seniors in the department of Criminal Justice who have successfully completed the following:
a. SS 239- Statistics for Social Science Research with a grade of “C” or above.
b. SS333 -Techniques of Social Science Research or EN 240 Technical Writing with a grade of “C” or above.
c. 92 Credit Hours or more of the vertical curriculum.
The Course will involve the following:
a. Class Attendance and participation.
b. Demonstrate mastery of the subject and research writing techniques. (See: General information and requirements for writing and defending the senior research paper)
c. Evidence of ability to satisfactorily complete the writing of a research topic through individual research project and assistance of the instructor in SS 333 Techniques of Social Science Research or EN 204 Technical Writing.
Research Outline
Introduction/Statement of the Problem
• Introduce your topic to your readers (topic must contain a social problem in Criminal Justice).
• Statement of the Problem (What is the problem and what is causing the problem).
• Background and Justification of the problem (evidence the problem exists).
• Purpose of the study (why is your study necessary).
• Must have at least 5 different sources (books, journals, newspapers, periodicals, etc).

Literature Review
• Must have at least 10 different sources (books, journals, newspapers, periodicals, etc).
• Include a discussion of the theoretical or conceptual framework within which the study will be grounded.
• Provide a synthesis of the findings in a summary regarding to the problem area, including additional evidence as to the nature and/or the importance of the problem.
• Make clear the need for further studies.
• List strengths and weaknesses in previous researches.
• Critique the literature (agreements and disagreements).
• Why this study is necessary and what do you plan to add to the topic by conducting this study?
• List any deficiencies in evidence (ex: small samples, organization specific, other problems within the study.

Methodology
• Methodology used (Name the method and show why it is appropriate?)
• Research design or approach used (Why is this design appropriate?)
• Hypothesis
• Who is the audience (Who are you writing to and who should read your research)
• Who are the participants (give all demographics and descriptions)
• What Instruments will be used in the study? (Case study, survey, questionnaire, etc)
• What are the measurements/variables (Independent and dependent variables)?
• What are the procedures (How will you conduct this research?)
• What are the research questions in this study?
• How will you analyze the data?
• Give all limitation (limits you may encounter that may prohibit or slow the research)
• Describe any confidentiality/HIPAA issues? (Describe any confidentiality issues with the participants or organizations)
• Are there any ethical considerations?

Theoretical model (if applicable): Must contain a discussion of
• The theory used in the study
• A comparison of the theory with other theories
• Why such theory is the most appropriate for the study?

Discussion
• a step-by-step review and discussion of data collected in your study
• Analyze your data
• Results
• Answers to your research questions
• How they relate to your topic/title
• Whether or not result of an analysis of such data confirms or rejects your hypothesis.

Conclusion
• A review of your findings and result of your study
• Suggestions for more study of the problem (if applicable)
• How your study will help to improve civic responsibility and civic engagement among practitioners in the social science system.
• Recommendation
References
• To be placed at the appropriate section of the paper to which it refers
• Begin the reference on a new page
• Level 1 heading
• The reference should be arranged in alphabetical order
• Typed single-spaced with single space between each reference. The second and succeeding lines of each reference should be indented to the right (5 spaces).

Abstract
The abstract must not exceed two pages and must be typed double-spaced. It must briefly discuss each of the following in a separate paragraph:
• The topic/title of your senior paper
• The social/criminal justice problem connected with the topic
• The hypothesis and variables used in the study (if applicable)
• The research techniques used to collect data
• The major findings of the study
• Whether or not your findings confirms or rejects your hypothesis
• How your study will help to improve the work of criminal justice professionals.

Title Page: This page must contain the title of the research, the semester and year of its completion, and the full name of the student.
Approval page: The approval page contains the title of the paper, spaces for the signatures of the Head of the Criminal Justice Department and defense committee members.
Tables and Charts: The page(s) must be within the same margins as the text. It must contain computer print outs, mathematical calculations and other charts or graphs referred to in the body of the paper. It must be numbered serially, and must indicate the source from which they were obtained.
Illustrations: Illustrations and photographs must be within the same margins as the text and must be numbered serially. Copies of illustrations and photographs derived from other manuscripts must indicate the source from which they were obtained.
Figures: Figures and charts must be numbered consecutively and placed at the end of the manuscript in the appendix. The appropriate page or pages numbers of such figures must be shown in the text.
Margins: Margins on top, bottom, left and right of each page must be a minimum of one inch. Page numbers must stand within the margin and must be no less than half inch from the top or the bottom of the page.
Pagination: The body of the text must be numbered consecutively in ARABIC numerals including tables, illustrations, appendix and reference. The title page is not numbered, but other pages that are not part of the body of the paper, and numbered consecutively in ROMAN FIGURES.
Paper, Paper type, and Typeface: Erasable paper is unacceptable. Any standard white bond paper is acceptable. Holes must not be punched in the paper. Number 12-font Times New Roman size typeface must be uniform throughout the paper.
Final Copy: Must be thermo bonded with a transparent front cover and a Maroon colored back cover. The title of the paper, name of the author and semester and year of completion must be clearly visible. The final copy becomes the property of Bethune-Cookman University as soon as it is submitted to the professor.
Corrections: Ink corrections, strikeover, past over, or use of correction fluids are unacceptable on the final copy. Insertions at the beginning, between or at the end of lines are also not acceptable.
Quotations: If the quotation is 40 or more words long it must be set off from the text in single spacing and indented from left and right marginal lines in its entirety. Each quotation must contain the name of the author from whose work the quotation was obtained. It must also contain the year and page of the work from which the quotation was lifted. (Refer to APA manual for complete description).
Style and style manual: The style recommended for styles and methods of documentation guidelines is APA writing style. Students should also refer to the tips listed below carefully, and make sure that the senior paper is in compliance with the requirements.
Length of senior paper: While there is no set page number, to be acceptable, a senior paper must not be less than 20 pages long. Pages numbered in Roman figures will not be included in such count.
APA Formatting Tips
Command Text
 Abstract Please see APA pp. 12-15; APA p. 25-27.
 Abbreviations Please see APA pp. 106-111 for how and when to use abbreviations.
o Authors Please review APA pp. 175-176; 183; 184.
 Bold Print Bold print is ONLY used for headings and for certain statistical symbols and table data as described in the APA Manual (2009).
 Colors Black and white text ONLY!
 Date You must include the date with all citations. A comma separates the author’s name from the year.
 Font Use a readable 12-pt serif typeface.
 Headings  First-level headings are bold, centered and use title case (APA Level 1). It is reserved for title pages, preliminary pages, the start of a new chapter, and the reference page.
 Second-level headings start at the left-hand margin, are bold, and use title case (APA Level 2).
 Third-level headings are indented, bold, use sentence case, and are followed by a period. A third-level heading is followed immediately by the first sentence of the paragraph (APA Level 3). See APA pp. 62-63 for the correct heading formats.
 Spacing Double-space between all lines of text, paragraphs, headings, and subheadings.

Single-space block quotations, reference entries, and headings.
Use only one space after any type of punctuation

All paragraphs must be indented .5″. Do not use the tab key to indent your paragraphs. Set the “First Line” to .5” within the paragraph function in Word for consistency in the number of spaces each paragraph is indented.
 Margins All margins must be 1,” but you need to override the page setup in Word by setting the bottom margin to .95.”
All pages of the research must have the following margins: 1.5″ left side, and 1″ on the top, bottom, and right side. Do not right justify your margins. Use left justification throughout.
 Numbers Use figures to express numbers 10 and above and words to express numbers below 10. See APA, pp. 111-114.
 Page Numbers Please check APA (p. 230) for how to add page numbers to your papers.
 References and Citations See pp. 180-183.

Single-space references and set paragraph to a hanging indent. Double-space between entries.

Secondary Sources: Please review APA p. 178.

Periodical Referencing: See APA, pp. 239-247.

Citing sources pp. 174-179; Electronic sources pp. 187-192; Legal Materials pp. 216-224. Personal Communications in the text, but not in your references p. 179.

You cannot use “et al.” in your paper until you have listed all of the authors in a previous citation unless you have six or more authors. In that case, you can use et al. the first time. Also, note that you do NOT place a comma between the listed author’s name and “et al.” (Bowser et al., 2009)

The only way that a source older than five years can be used in academic writing is if it is a classic work.

 Table Of Contents See Sample Copy A’s Guide for the proper formatting of the Table of Contents
 Term – Format Is Italics Use italics to introduce a key term, APA, p. 105.
 Title Please see Sample Copy “D” for the correct title page format.
Use double quotation marks to set off the title of an article or chapter in a periodical or book when the title is written in the text. Use italics for the names of periodicals or full texts, APA, pp. 104; 176-177.
No running heads even though APA does.
 Underlining You may not use underlining in an academic paper.
 Word Commands Please learn to use the paragraph function In Word. Formatting your documents by typing <ENTER> at the end of every line will cause you spacing problems

Grammar, Style, and Mechanics
 Capitalization Review APA pp. 101-104 for the rules on capitalization.
 Conjunction Do not start sentences with a conjunction.
 Contractions Do not use contractions in academic writing.
 Dangling Modifier The use of passive voice often creates dangling modifiers. Most times, you can remove dangling modifiers by writing in active voice. Please see APA p. 209 for more help.
 Deadwood Eliminate unnecessary words to make your writing more powerful.
 Editorializing Academic papers do not include personal opinion. Everything must be carefully cited.
 Fragment This means a sentence is missing either a subject or a verb.
 New Page-do not use the <ENTER> button Use CTRL+ENTER to create a new page. Using ENTER will cause spacing problems.
 Organization Please plan your paper before you sit down to write to ensure that you have enough information and can support for your main points. Rambling is another serious problem. Rambling indicates that you did not clearly think out your research before you started writing.
 Paragraph See APA p. 68, “Unit Length.” Paragraphs, by definition, consist of more than one sentence. Break up paragraphs that are longer than a page.
When paragraphs have not been well planned and written, it makes it difficult to understand the point you were making
 Passive Try to avoid using passive voice as much as possible; see APA p. 77.
 Parallel Construction Equal ideas, such as in a listing, must be presented in similar grammatical form. See APA, pp. 84-88.
 Plural Format Check the spelling of the plural forms you are using. See APA, p. 110-111; 114; 115; 79; and 96.
 Plurals Ensure words are not written in the singular case that should have been plural.
 Possessive Check when to use a possessive form. See APA, pp. 92-97.
 Pronoun Use Please check your use of pronouns. See APA, 79-80. Use “who” when you refer to people and “that” for inanimate objects.
 Proofreading Please learn to reread your work carefully before you submit it for a grading. Sometimes reading you paper aloud or having someone read it to you can help you find your own errors. Please check your spelling.
 Run-On A run-on sentence is two complete thoughts spliced together with a comma /or it contains two subjects and two verbs without proper punctuation.
 Third Person All scholarly research and academic writing should be written in third person See APA, p. 69.
 Strong introduction and conclusion Your introduction should lead your reader into what your topic is and what approach you will take in the rest of your paper.
Your conclusion should either summarize your main points or bring the reader to a point of finality. Do not let your reader looking for more information.
 Verb Your subject and verb should agree. See pp.78-79.
Check for the correct form of the verb. See APA, pp. 65-66; 77-78.
 Transitions Consider using a transitional word or expression to make your writing flow more smoothly.
 Weak sentence beginnings Do not start sentences with There is, There are, etc. The use of indefinite pronouns weakens your writing style.
 Word Choice Please check your word choice. See APA, p. 68.
Use that when the clause is essential to the sentence’s meaning. Use, which when the clause can be removed from the sentence without changing the meaning. Use that when the words cannot be removed. See APA, p. 83.
Use since to refer only to time to mean “after that”; otherwise be sure to use because. See APA, p. 84.
Revise the unclear sentence(s). See APA, p. 67.

Punctuation
 Ampersand Use the ampersand (&) inside a citation and with references only. When the author’s names appear outside of the parenthesis or reference use the word and.
 Citation w/ End Punctuation The end punctuation used with a citation follows the parentheses, except for long quotations where it come before the first parenthesis.
 Colon Do not use a colon after an introduction that is not a complete sentence. Please review APA p. 90 for the rules on when the use of the colon is appropriate.
 Comma Use a comma after an introductory word, clause, or phrase.
Place a comma between the author and the date in a citation and between the date and the page number.
Use a comma between words (including before and and or) in a series of three or more items, see p. 88 APA
Use commas to set off a word, phrase, or clause that embellishes a sentence but would not affect the meaning of the sentence if it were to be removed. Do not use commas when the phrase, word, or clause is essential to the meaning of the sentence. See p. 88, APA
Use a comma to separate the two independent clauses joined by a conjunction in a compound sentence. See p. 89
Do not use a single comma between the subject and the verb or between two parts of a compound sentence element (verb, objects, etc.). Do not use a comma before essential clauses or between the two parts of a compound verb or other compound elements, such as subjects, objects, etc. Separate groups of three digits in numbers of 1,000 or more. See APA, p. 89.
If you can put and or or between adjectives in a series preceding a noun, and the sentence still makes sense, use commas. EXAMPLE: the old, lazy dog (the dog is both old and lazy.)
 Dash Use the dash to indicate a sudden interruption in the continuity of the sentence. Please see APA p. 90 for the correct formatting.
 Quotations Periods and commas go inside final quotation marks 100% of the time. Semicolons and colons go outside final quotation marks 100% of the time. Question marks and exclamation marks depend on the context. See p. 92, APA. You can only use single quotation marks inside of double quotation marks. They cannot stand alone. See p. 92, APA.
Use page numbers with direct quotations. Do not use page numbers when you are only paraphrasing the source. Review the rules in APA pp. 171-174.
Block Quotes: Please review APA p. 171-174 for the correct line spacing and citation format for all quotes.
 Hyphens See APA pp. 97-100 for the proper use of hyphens.
 Parentheses Use parentheses to set off reference citations in text. See APA pp. 93-94 for how other punctuation is used with parentheses.
 Percent/percentage Use the symbol for percent % when it is preceded by a numeral. If there is no number or the number is expressed as a word, use the word percentage. See p. 118 in your APA manual.
 Periods With Citations Sentence punctuation with citations should follow the final parentheses. Do not use punctuation with a citation that you would not use if the citation were not present.
 Semicolon Use a semicolon to separate elements in a series that already contain commas. Use a semicolon to separate two independent clauses that are not joined by a conjunction. APA. See p. 89-90
APA websites

Writing Websites: http://apastyle.apa.org/
http://www.apa.org/pubs/books/4210006.aspx
http://www.stylewizard.com/apa/apawiz.html

http://junketstudies.com/rulesofw/fwelcome.html
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/composition/editing.htm
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/

BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY

Title of the Research Paper

A paper submitted to the faculty of
the College of Liberal Arts
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
Department of Criminal Justice
by
(Full name of student)

(Semester and Year)

This manuscript has been read and
accepted for the Department of Criminal Justice
in partial satisfaction of the requirements for
the degree of Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice

Members of the Defense Committee:
_____________________________¬¬¬___¬¬___________________
Research Professor Date

___________________________________________________
Defense Committee Member Date

___________________________________________________
Defense Committee Member Date

___________________________________________________
Defense Committee Member Date

___________________________________________________
Chair, Department of Criminal Justice Date
Abstract
The abstract must not exceed two pages and must be typed double-spaced. It must briefly discuss each of the following in a separate paragraph:
• The topic/title of your senior paper
• The social/criminal justice problem connected with the topic
• The hypothesis and variables used in the study (if applicable)
• The research techniques used to collect data
• The major findings of the study
• Whether or not your findings confirms or rejects your hypothesis
• How your study will help to improve the work of criminal justice professionals.

First Paragraph: This paragraph must contain a brief discussion of (a) the topic/title of the senior paper and (b) how the topic/title relates to a social problem within the criminal justice system.
Second Paragraph: This paragraph must contain (a) a brief description of the research method that was used to obtain data for the study, (b) how data was obtained by using each method and (c) the hypothesis and variables developed for the study (if applicable).
Third Paragraph: This paragraph must contain a brief explanation of the major findings of the study.
Fourth Paragraph: This paragraph must contain a brief explanation of how the results of the study will help to improve the work of professionals in the discipline of criminal justice system.

Table of Contents
Page
Chapter 1: Introduction 1
Statement of the Problem 2
Purpose of the Study 3
Background and Justification 4
Chapter 2: Literature Review 5
XXXXXXXX 6
XXXXXXXX 7
XXXXXXXXXXX 8
XXXXXXXX 9
XXXXXXXXXX 10
XXXXXXXXX 11
Strengths and Weaknesses 12
Significance of the Study 13
Chapter 3: Methodology 14
Hypothesis 15
Audience 15
Participants 16
Measurements and Variables 17
Instruments 18
Procedures 19
Research Questions 20
Data Analysis 21
Limitations 22
Ethical Considerations 23
Chapter 4: Discussion 24
Results 25
Analysis 26
Research Questions Addressed 27
Chapter 5: Conclusion 28
Civic Engagement and Responsibility 29
Recommendation 30
References 31
Appendices
A Title of Appendix 32
B XXXXX 33
C XXXXXXX 34

Introduction

Must have at least 10 different sources (books, journals, newspapers, periodicals, etc).
Introduce your topic to your readers (topic must contain a social problem).

Statement of the Problem

Statement of the Problem (What is the problem and what is causing the problem)

Background and Justification

Background and Justification of the problem (evidence the problem exists)

Purpose of the Study

Purpose of the study (why is your study necessary)

Literature Review
• Must have at least 10 different sources (books, journals, newspapers, periodicals, etc).
• Include a discussion of the theoretical or conceptual framework within which the study will be grounded
• Provide a synthesis of the findings in a summary regarding to the problem area, including additional evidence as to the nature and/or the importance of the problem
• Make clear the need for further studies
• Critique the literature (agreements and disagreements)

Strengths and Weakness
• List strengths and weaknesses in previous researches.
• List any deficiencies in evidence (ex: small samples, organization specific, other problems within the study

Significance of the Study
• Why this study is necessary and what do you plan to add to the topic by conducting this study? Why is this study significant?

Methodology
• (Name the methodology and show why it is appropriate?)
• Research design or approach used (Why is this design appropriate?)

Hypothesis (Quantitative Study Only)
• State your hypothesis, explain it and support your stance
Audience
• Who is the audience (Who are you writing to and who should read your research)? Why is the audience the most appropriate?

Participants
• Who are the participants (give all demographics and descriptions)

Measurements (Quantitative Study Only) and Variables
• What will you use to measure your study/How will you measure your study?
• What are the variables (Independent and dependent variables)?

Instruments
• What Instruments will be used in the study? (Case study, survey, questionnaire, etc)

Procedures
• What are the procedures (How will you conduct this research?)

Research Questions
• What are the research questions in this study?

Data Analysis
• How will you analyze the data?

Limitations
• Give all limitation (limits you may encounter that may prohibit or slow the research)

Ethical Considerations and Confidentiality
• Describe any confidentiality/HIPAA issues? (Describe any confidentiality issues with the participants or organizations) Describe any ethical considerations?

Discussion
• A step-by-step review and discussion of data collected in your study
Results
• Give your raw data you collected
Analysis of Results
• Analyze your data
• How they relate to your topic/title
• Whether or not result of an analysis of such data confirms or rejects your hypothesis.

Research Questions Addressed
• Answers to your research questions

Conclusion
• A review of your findings and result of your study

Civic Engagement and Responsibility
• How your study will help to improve civic responsibility and civic engagement among practitioners in the social science system.

Recommendations
• Suggestions for more study of the problem (if applicable)
• Recommendation

References
• Begin the reference on a new page
• Level 1 heading
• The reference should be arranged in alphabetical order
• Typed single-spaced with single space between each reference. The second and succeeding lines of each reference should be indented to the right (5 spaces).
• All references should be formatted using APA

Appendix or Appendices
• Attach any appendices, diagrams, graphs, charts, etc. Each should be labeled with a title
and a figure (should be the same that was referenced within your research).