The case study report is the third component of assessment for Researching Crime and Deviance (SC4003) and counts as 50% of your overall grade for this module.
For this assessment you are required to provide a written 2000 word report of your full critical evaluation which compares and contrasts the two research papers we used for Assignment Two.
NOTE THIS IS AN INDIVIDUAL REPORT AND SHOULD NOT BE WRITTEN IN COLLABORATION WITH ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF YOUR PRESENTATION GROUP OR ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL(S). Also, as with assignment two you must only use the two research articles provided.
You will need to write this in a research report (not essay) format under the following headings:
Heading/ Title:
The heading /title of your report should reflect the two articles you have reviewed. This should including the authors, the year they were published and their titles.
Introduction and discussion of the main aims, purpose and importance of the research
• You should briefly introduce both studies and the topic area setting out the aims, purpose and importance of both pieces of research.
• Consider, comment on and compare the nature of the research questions being addressed in each study and how these might be linked to the selected research approach and methods used by these authors.
The research approach and data collection methods used in both papers
• Identify, describe and compare the key research decisions in terms of research approach and data collection methods set out in both papers including the potential strengths and weaknesses of these.
Approach:
• What research approach has each study adopted?
• Why have they used this approach?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses here?
Data Collection Methods:
• What data collection techniques were used in each study?
• Why have they used these particular techniques?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses with these?
How sampling and ethical issues were addressed within the research
• Identify and describe key research decisions in terms of sampling and ethics set out in both papers including the potential strengths and weaknesses of these.
Sampling:
• Describe the sampling procedure/strategy for each study:
o What was the sampling population?
o What was the sampling frame?
o What type of sample was used?
• Evaluate (with reference to the methods literature) whether this sampling procedure/strategy was appropriate given the aim and nature of the research.
• Explain how the sampling procedure/strategy and/or sample may have affected the validity and/or reliability of the findings.
Access and ethics:
• Describe what ethical concerns, if any, were considered during the course of the research.
• Comment on any respects in which these were in accordance with, or contrary to, ethical guidelines.
• If the reports do not contain a commentary on ethical considerations, then explain what issues might have arisen during the research.
• Remember to explain why such considerations are important.
Conclusion and reflection on how the overall strengths and weaknesses of both pieces of research affected the research findings each study produced
• Reflect on how the overall strengths and weaknesses of both pieces of research effected the research findings each study produced (i.e. how the decisions effected the validity and reliability of the findings)
• Provide a brief descriptive summary of the key findings.
• Try and consider whether or not a different research design or alternative research decisions would have produced different results.
• Comment on how valid and/or reliable you consider these findings to be, given the method(s) used to generate them.
Bibliography:
• You MUST provide a complete bibliography which MUST include the full reference for the articles which you are reviewing.
• In order to evaluate your research articles you will also have to have made reference to other literature about research methods and the subject area tackled by these two research articles.
• Comments you make regarding Research Methods/Findings should be substantiated with reference to the research methods literature.
• Any comments you make in the Introduction and/or Conclusion referring to the topic area should be substantiated with reference to other material on the subject.