Valerie, I Resonate With Many of Your

Valerie, I resonate with many of your ideas regarding identity theft and understand the difficulties in gathering valid and useful information in research efforts. Identity theft is very hard to qualify in many ways because, the result of indentify theft is not really identity but most like materials or money gained from pretending to be someone else. Since identity is something that is subjective and intensely personal, perhaps a new label can be used to help facilitate the research process and make thing easier to define. The one thing I have learned in this course of study is that words sometimes have two meanings or more and that the pathway to knowledge requires a balance of both qualitative and quantitative efforts to balance the equation.

Zac

The topic of immigration is very relevant in today's world and I'm glad you addressed this topic in this forum. The one problem with this idea is that "illegal" immigration is not really illegal because there are seemingly no repercussions to the practice. You addressed that policy plays a major role in developing solutions to this problem through the research process and I agree with your conclusion that examining past case studies focusing on public support we can learn much more about the real causes of this problem and perhaps redefine this idea into a different idea outside the realm of criminal justice.

John

Shover (2012) used fine examples and arguments in determining how and why a theory can be considered credible in the research process and I agree with your synopisis on the subject as you apply it to your specific research question. Surveys and questionnaires are in fact very practical tools in deducing new information however their manner of implementation become paramount in their ultimate success. In other words, its not what tool is used, but how that tool is used. Surveys and questionnaires must align with the greater scheme of the inquiry if they are to be of any value to the process. Your analysis is on target when you addressed this issue in your post and seem to have a fine grasp of the concepts.

Zac

Your comments on experimental design helped me better understand the concept in different terms. Merral et al. (2010) explained this method as beneficial when the right circumstances are in place and there is a definite need to use this tool. By emphasizing the design of the research you reveal the importance of the research question itself as central to the research process. This makes much sense to me, because if you are asking the wrong questions, the research that is resultant is not applicable to the intent of the research. Border security seems like a very tricky research problem and that it is important that you are asking the right questions in order to get the right answers.

Zac