Designing a Research Project Over

Designing a Research Project

Over the last several years, juvenile crime has been increasingly brought to the forefront. As, nearly half of all crimes for this demographic are committed between: 7 AM and 5 PM. To deal with these issues, Mary wants to start an after school program for at risk youth. ("Conditions Associated with an Increase in Violence") However, to determine if this would work, we will be conducting a study that will examine: the kinds of research that is involved, the data collection techniques, the methodology and the ethical considerations. Once this occurs, it will provide the greatest insights as to if this kind of program is effective at dealing with these challenges.

Does Mary's research involve a theory of correlation, causation, or both? Provide reasoning to support your choice.

Mary's research is based upon the theory of correlation. The reason why, is because this theory focuses on the fact that a number of different variables are interconnected with one another. Where, one event will lead to an even larger incident down the road based upon the connection between these different incidents. This is important, because Mary is seeking to understand the causes of why juvenile crime is occurring and what she can do to prevent it. As a result, her research is seeking to: confirm how this is taking place and if opening an after school program will allow her to be successful in having a positive impact. ("Regularity Theory of Causation")

Is this an example of applied or pure research? Does it involve primary or secondary research? Explain your answers.

This is an example of applied research. This is when there is a study that is being carried for the advancement of existing knowledge based upon: developing new technologies or products to solve existing problems. Due to the fact that Mary is seeking to address juvenile crime, this is an indication that she is engaging in this type of study. ("Applied Research") This involves primary sources, as Mary is going to be using actual cases to understand what is happening. ("What is the Difference between Primary and Secondary Sources")

Which two techniques of data collection do you feel would be more beneficial for Mary to use?

The primary data collection is more useful to Mary. The reason why, is because they are focusing on real cases and statistics surrounding juvenile crime. This will make her findings and analysis more realistic by looking at the actual numbers. ("What is the Difference between Primary and Secondary Sources")

Would this project be more suited to quantitative or qualitative research methods? Support your opinions with reasons.