1. What is meant by quantitative research? What are some important characteristics of it? What are some general contrast between qualitative and quantitative research and the type of information yielded by each?
2. What is a research design? What are three types of research designs and what are their respective objectives?
3. What is meant by experimentation? What is an experimental research design? What are its general objectives?
4. What is a survey design? What are some of its primary characterics? What are some applications of survey designs? What are some weaknesses and strength of survey designs?
5. What is meant by the classic experimental design? What are two variations of the classic experimental design? What are some important differences between each of these two variations?
6. What is reliability? How is it measured or determined? What are two internal reliability methods?
7. What are four general relationships between validity and reliability?
8. What is validity? How it is measured or determined? What are four different methods for determining test validity? How can validity be proved, if at all?
9. Is it possible to have a valid test that is not reliable? Why or why not?
10. What are some general differences between external and internal validity? How can internal validity be improved?
11. Differentiate between probability and nonprobability sampling plans. Review briefly their general functions and limitations.
12. What are some major considerations in deciding to sample? Discuss these considerations briefly.
13. What is meant by sample repetitiveness? Can we ever guarantee that a sample of elements will be representative of the population from which it is drawn? Why or why not?
14. Define and differentiate between population parameters and sample statistics.
15. Why is there often a gap between ideal sampling plans and real samples of elements obtained by the researcher?
16. What are two types of questionnaire administrations? What are some of the weaknesses and strength of each of these administration methods?
17. What are some key differences between fixed response and open ended items? What are the positive and negative features of each type of item?
18. What are some primary drawbacks to using open ended items on culturally diverse populations?
19. What are some limitations and advantages of using existing scales devised by other researchers ?
20. What are follow up letters? What are their purposes? Are there any ethical considerations to be made when sending out follow up letters?
21. What is nonparticipant observation? What are some limitations of nonparticipant observation regarding the reliability of whatever is observed and its meaning?
22. What is participant observation? How can researchers who engage in participant observation "get too close" their subjects being observed? What can be done to avoid this problem?
23. Who is a key informant? What are some purposes of key informants? What are some problems that can be anticipated from using key informants in research?
24. How does observation conducted by criminologists differ from every day, random observations by others?
25. What are the major limitations and strength of secondary source analysis?
26. What is measurement? What are several important functions of measurement?
27. What are likert scales ? how are they constructed ? What are some general strength and limitations of likert scales?
28. What is the difference between an operational definition and a nominal definition? What are the purpose of each in social research ?
29. What are four levels of measurement? Which levels of measurements permit averaging and division?
30. What is the semantic differential ? What are some possible applications of it in criminology?
31. What are hypotheses? How are hypotheses used in social research?
32. What are some major functions of hypotheses?
33. What is the relationship between hypotheses and theory?
34. Where do hypotheses come from?
35. Does any particular study stand as the definitive work in any given subject area? Why or why not?
36. What is coding? Why is coding important in the research process?
37. What is a crime rate? How is it determined for particular categories of crime?
38. What is a crime ratio? What are some of its research uses?
39. What is meant by graphic presentation? What are two popular forms of graphic presentation? What are some of their advances for expressing ones research findings?
40. What is meant by tabular presentation? Why is it important to present some of an investigators collected data into tables of various sizes?
41. What is the focused interview? What are some examples of how focused interviews may be applied?
42. What is social desirability and how might it emerge to influence respondent truthfulness during an interview?
43. What are some differences between interview schedules and interview guides? Under what kinds of circumstances might each of these instruments be used?
44. What are probes? What advantages are associates with probes?
45. What are some general guidelines for dressing and preparing for interviews? What are some of the characteristics of good interviewers?