Research Process and Terminology
Performing research requires a person with integrity and a strong will to continue until the research is complete and he or she is satisfied that the research was done to his or her best ability. When documenting the findings the researcher must report a complete finding of all data including information that may not be a promising as he or she would like. Researching is about finding out the likelihood of an event or crime. The researcher should begin the research not knowing, or expecting a particular outcome.
Research is to better prepare the universe for what may occur giving certain situations. The integrity of the researcher will determine how valid the information from the research will be. Research is an important part of criminal justice. Effective research can determine the crime rate and possible ways of crime prevention. Terminology within the criminal justice system is a key factor in understanding and communication information effectively. The lack of proper terminology when translating research data can be detrimental to a case.
The criminal justice system has various research methods utilized in the system. The common research method is quantitative research. Quantitative is the concepts of assigning a numerical value. This method provides numerous ways to retrieve data, and use primarily to study the cause of crime. This method can also be used to determine patterns in situations involving criminal justice. The process of research in the criminal justice system has five general steps: problem formulation, research design, data collection, analysis and presentation, and conclusion.
Problem formulation is selecting a problem to research. When selecting a research problem factor in the current state of the problem, the holes in the theory, and the funding to perform the research. The research design is determined the type of experiment to be performed, or a study group. Data collection is how the information will be collected. Questionnaires, interviews, and reanalysis of existing data are some methods of collecting research data. Analysis and present the findings of the data collected. Create a summary of the finding and be prepared to present the report.
The conclusion will be the researchers’ interpretations of what he or she believes the study showed. In order to understand the research methods and situation in criminal justice, one must be able to comprehend the terminology and know how to properly explain the results. An important term used in criminal justice system is capturing of the essence of reality, or concepts. Some examples of concepts in the criminal justice system are crime, intelligence, police patrol, and recidivism. Recidivism is a reduction of crime in quantity and quality over a one-year period.
This term is commonly used when studying juvenile offenders. Juvenile recidivism rates can be retrieved on the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) website. NCJRS is a federally funded resource offering justice and substance abuse information to support research, policy, and program development worldwide (U. S. DOJ 2010). The resource is helpful and educational for anyone interested in criminal justice. Having knowledge of these terms and applying them appropriately is important in the criminal justice field.
There can be many negative outcomes by not knowing the proper terminology while conducting criminal justice research. Information can be missed completely or misunderstood. Failure to understand the terminology can have a domino effect on criminal justice research. If a particular term is not defined properly the term could possibly affect the research and ultimately affect the end results. Being familiar with the terminology used in the criminal justice system enhances the knowledge and allows the opportunity to advance in the field.
Effective research continues to be a strong foundation in the criminal justice system. Research is integrated in the system and continues to be a vital tool when it comes to finding credible and factual information. Research methods and knowledge of terminology within those methods are tools that assist in finding that information. Failure to understand the terminology involved in the research processes may have negative affect on the research at hand. The end result of not comprehending the terminology could jeopardize a case in court.
In order to prevent such negative effects from happening, it is important to make sure that there is a clear and concise understanding of the terminology involved regarding the research in the criminal justice field. Researchers have the obligation to perform research with the highest regard of integrity. The information which is collected during research is more than likely to be published for the universe to view and use in order to prevent crime from being committed. If the data is incorrect or not validated by a series of test or taken from actual research done by the researcher, it could cause more harm than good.
The researcher must be able to relay the information in the terminology in which it is intended to be done. The proper terminology is just as important as the research.
References
- U. S. Department of Justice. (2005). Quantitative Research on Friction Ridge Patterns. Available: http://www. ncjrs. gov/pdffiles1/nij/sl000698. pdf. Last accessed 11/13/2010.
- U. S. Department of Justice. (2010). NCJRS. Available: http://www. ncjrs. gov/app/topics/Topic. aspx? topicid=146. Last accessed 11/13/2010.
