1. Demonstrate ability to review relevant literature, identify gaps in body of knowledge and show how proposed area of study would contribute to research brief

2. Create a strategy within research team to design a research project

3. Analyse and interpret quantitative and qualitative data

4. Communicate findings in a report using Harvard referencing style

Semester 1 assessment, students will select one of the following types of assignments:

A group project proposal via e-presentation (15 minutes)

A group written research proposal (1,500 words)

Coursework meets learning outcomes 1 & 2

Semester 2 assessment, students will write up a findings report that documents their ability to analyse and interpret both quantitative and qualitative data (the findings will be based on activities completed as part of workshop activities) (1,.500 words)

(Coursework meets learning outcomes 3 & 4)

This module gives students step-by-step guidance and support to produce a group project proposal that outlines how their cross-discipline team would investigate and respond to a current problem or issue faced in the criminal justice, police or forensic science industry/sector. The module also equips students with the practical skills & competencies to retrieve, analyse and write up both quantitative and qualitative data.

This module gives students step-by-step guidance and support to produce a group project proposal that outlines how their cross-discipline team would investigate and respond to a current problem or issue faced in the criminal justice, police or forensic science industry/sector. The module also equips students with the practical skills & competencies to retrieve, analyse and write up both quantitative and qualitative data.

In Semester 1, students will be presented with a series of discrete problems or issues facing the criminal justice, police or forensic sector/industry. Project briefs will come from external industry sectors or research projects that academics from the school of LPF are working on.

Students will form cross-discipline teams and will attend a series of online lectures and practical face-to-face workshops that offer step-by step guidance around the processes of designing a project that will respond to the specific problem or issue that individual teams are proposing to tackle.

Online lectures and practical workshops will outline and give learners the experience of how to search and write a review of literature, designing research questions, aims and objectives. Students will be given guidance and support to tackle conflict and problems that arise from working within cross-discipline teams.

Online lectures and practical face to face workshops will present learners with a range of quantitative, qualitative and desk-based research methods (methods are likely to include, online questionnaires, experiments, official statistical data sets, focus group or world café group interviews, semi-structured interviews, observation, content or discourse analysis, review of policy documents).

Teams will attend a method evaluation workshop, they will deliver a brief presentation to their peers and tutor that outlines their progress, and how they intend to apply their chosen method to research the specific problem. Peers and tutor will offer valuable, constructive formative feedback as to whether the method selected is likely to be suitable for their investigation.

Learners will attend an online lecture where they will be introduced to the university ethical guidelines. During the face to face workshop, students will have the opportunity to discuss potential ethical considerations, moral dilemmas that might arise from their proposed investigation and have the chance to outline potential strategies to minimise and manage ethical considerations that could arise from their project.

Towards the end of semester 1, learners will attend coursework briefings and have the opportunity to consult tutors on their assignment.

Semester 2, focuses on equipping students with the practical skills and experience of retrieving, analysing, interpreting and presenting both quantitative and qualitative data.

Learners will attend 6 x 2-hour face to face workshops devoted to quantitative data handling. Sessions are likely to include: an introduction to SPSS; descriptive statistics and graphs; interpreting data; performing a range of tests on quantitative data including – T-tests and non-parametric tests; Anovas, Chi Square and Correlation.

Students will also attend 6 x 2-hour practical workshops focusing on qualitative data handling. Sessions are likely to include: transcribing group and one-to-one interviews; and an introduction to a range of techniques for analysing qualitative data, likely to include: creating an index and applying codes to data; thematic and narrative analysis; and using software packages to retrieve qualitative data.

Learners will have 2 practical workshops devoted to semester 2 coursework, that will focus on presenting findings from qualitative and quantitative data

Bell, J., and Waters, S., (2018). Doing your Research project: A Guide for First Time Researchers. Seventh Edition. Open University Press

Bryman, A., (2015). Social Research methods. Fifth Edition. Oxford. Oxford University Press

Field, A., (2018). Discovering Statistics using SPSS. Fifth Edition. London. Sage

Hagan FE., (2014). Research methods in Criminal Justice and Criminology. Ninth edition. Harlow. Pearson

Knapp, H., (2017). Introductory Statistics Using SPSS. London. Sage

Mason, J., (2018). Qualitative Researching. Third Edition. London. Sage

May, T., (2011). Social Research, Issues Methods and Process. Fourth Edition. Buckingham. Open University Press

Ritchie, J., Lewis, J., McNaughton Nicholls, C and Ormston, R., (2014). Qualitative Research Practice A guide for social science students and researchers. London. Sage

Silver, CB., and Lewins A., (2014). Using Software in Qualitative Research. Fifth edition. London. Sage

Silverman, D., (2017). Doing Qualitative Research. Fifth Edition. London. Sage

Silverman, D., (2015). Interpreting Qualitative Data. Fifth Edition. London. Sage

Thomas, G., (2017). How to do your Research Project: A guide for Students. Third Edition. London. Sage

A flat lecture/workshop computer lab/room flexible enough for paired and small group work and a computer and projector for tutor led PowerPoint presentations
Computer labs need SPSS and NVIVO installed on PCS
Blackboard Virtual environment will be available to support this module. Details will be supplied in the module handbook