For this assignment, you will be selecting and discussing a contemporary criminal justice issue to pursue as part of your criminal justice research paper for this capstone course. The topic that you select will be the focus throughout this course, so please select your topic wisely. When considering topics, think about the courses you have taken in the criminal justice program, issues that you have studied, and topics for which you developed an interest. You will not want to select a topic that is too broad, such as crime statistics; rather, consider a specific topic, such as how the collection and reporting of crime statistics could be modified to better account for the dark figure of crime.
Prepare 3-4 paragraphs that present your topic to your peers and instructor. You should include the following based on your selected issue:
- Draft a thesis statement on your issue.
- Provide a brief explanation of why you selected this topic.
- What aspects of the topic do you anticipate pursuing in your research?
- What sources do you anticipate using in your research?
Remember, this class is a culmination of all your classes at AIU, more especially, your Criminal Justice classes.The topic you select for your thesis should be carefully considered and one that can be covered in your limited amount of time while remaining interesting to you and your audience. Although you have received classroom instruction concerning the public sector careers, do not forget about the private sector careers. Did you know that one of the department stores has two forensics labs in the United States. One is in the western states and the other is located in the northeast, and both locations process fingerprints and other forensics evidence? Did you know that one of the fast food restaurants has a huge security department that is responsible for global security and an intelligence unit that tracks terrorism worldwide? Also, did you know that every professional sports team, most Fortune 500 companies, and amusement parks have security, quick response teams, and investigation teams? In the selection of your topic for your final project at AIU, examine all possible areas of interest both in the public and private sectors. Research topics of interest in which you would love to have a career.
Based on the feedback from your instructor and peers regarding your topic, finalize the thesis that you will pursue for your research. Now you will develop a research plan that will include the following:
- Thesis statement: This statement presents the problem or issue you intend to research, and it should be clear and concise.
- Hypothesis: This is a statement of prediction regarding the results of the problem or issue. Briefly identify your working solution to the problem. How might your working solution solve the problem? Be sure to note that your working solution will evolve through continued research and analysis.
- Measurement and analysis approach: Define the key points that you will research and explain how you will gather and analyze the data you find. Intend to incorporate information related to technology and crime statistics that apply to your issue.
- Applicable resources: Identify 5 sources that you have found that are the most relevant and best support your purpose statement. List the sources and then record the main idea as notes to use as part of your research later. Identify case studies, library, Web, and other scholarly resources.
- Ethical standards: What are your ethical and legal responsibilities to ensure that your final report will be of the highest ethical standards?