CJ 2602 Criminal Justice Research and Analysis

Syllabus Fall 2014

Section 002 Instructor: Ryan Sentner
MW 2pm 2:50pm Office Location: Gladfelter Hall Room 5!0
"nderson Hall #lassroom 2$ Office %&one: 2'5(20)(2*!5
+ 2pm 2:50pm #ell %&one: !0,($'$(!$5'
"nderson Hall La- ', .mail: ryan/sentner0temple/edu
Office Hours: MW+ '' ( noon '(2 %M
M $(5 and -y appointment
Course Description
1&is course introduces students to t&e lo2ic of statistical analysis in criminal 3ustice researc&/
Students 4ill create and mana2e data sets learn &o4 to use statistical soft4are 5S%SS6 and
interpret statistical information in criminal 3ustice 3ournals/ More specifically students 4ill -e
introduced to descripti7e inferential and multi7ariate statistics employed in criminal 3ustice
researc& a-out t&e nature of crimes criminals and t&e criminal 3ustice system
Course oals
'/ Students 4ill learn 4&y statistical met&ods are an inte2ral part of criminal 3ustice researc&/
2/ 1o understand &o4 to 2enerate and interpret common descripti7e statistics includin2 mean
median mode and measures of dispersion/
$/ 1o understand t&e lo2ic of inferential statistics includin2 pro-a-ility t&e standard normal
cur7e and confidence inter7als/
)/ 1o understand &ypot&esis testin2 and to -e a-le to determine 4&en to use t&e appropriate test
5#&i S8uare 1(1ests "9O:" #orrelation6/ Students 4ill also learn &o4 to interpret eac& of
t&ese tests/
5/ 1o learn &o4 to use t&e statistical pro2ram S%SS/
Course !olicies
Students are to read -efore eac& class and -e prepared for class discussions assi2nments and all
e;ams/
"ttendance: "ttendance is 7ery important/ <ou 4ill -e more successful if you attend/ If
an emer2ency arises and you must miss class it is your responsi-ility to notify t&e
instructor a-out t&e reason for your a-sence as early as possi-le and to find ot&er means
to turn in your assi2nments on time/ If you miss class you are still responsi-le for
anyt&in2 assi2ned for t&e ne;t class or classes includin2 o-tainin2 any &andouts 2i7en in
t&e class you missed/ It is <O=R R.S%O9SI>ILI1< to catc& up/
"ssi2nments: "ll assi2nments must -e completed on time and must -e turned in to t&e
instructor on t&e day in 4&ic& t&ey are due/
%resentation style? format? referencin2 met&ods: 1&e course 4ill incorporate di7erse
learnin2 acti7ities includin2 lectures %o4er%oint presentations 2roup discussions and
7arious in(class e;ercises/
>lac@-oard? communication 4it& students: 1&e course 4ill utiliAe -lac@-oard/
Information a-out -lac@-oard 4ill -e discussed durin2 class/
.;aminations: .;aminations are to -e ta@en durin2 t&eir sc&eduled times/ Students 4&o
fail to ta@e e;aminations on t&e prescri-ed dates WILL 9O1 -e permitted to ta@e t&e
e;ams unless e;tenuatin2 circumstances e;ist 5i/e/ medical attention deat& in t&e family
etc/6/ %roper documentation M=S1 -e pro7ided -efore t&e student is a-le to ta@e a ma@e(
up e;amination/
BuiAAes: %op 8uiAAes may -e 2i7en durin2 any class period/ 1&ese 8uiAAes 4ill -e -ased
on t&e readin2s for t&at particular class/ 1&ese 8uiAAes 4ill only count as e;tra credit and
cannot &urt your 2rade/ 1&is 4ill -e t&e O9L< form of e;tra credit offered durin2 t&e
semester/
radin" and #$aluation
<our final 2rade 4ill -e -ased off of t4o e;ams a paper alon2 4it& a s&ort presentation and
attendance and participation/
( "ttendance and %articipation: '0C
( Midterm .;am: $0C
( +inal .;am: $0C
( Home4or@ and La- "ssi2nments: $0C
rades represent t&e le7el of 8uality of a studentDs performance in a course/ Letter 2rades
4ill -e assi2ned as follo4s:
" Outstandin2 ,) '00C
"( ,0 ,$C
>E F* F,C
> Good F$ F!C
>( F0 F2C
#E ** *,C
# Satisfactory *$ *!C
#( *0 *2C
GE !* !,C
G !$ !!C
G( !0 !2C
+ +ailin2 H !0C
Attendance and !articipation rade% 1&e attendance and participation 2rade amounts for
ten percent of your 2rade/ <ou are allo4ed t&ree une;cused a-sences 4it&out affectin2 your
2rade/ .7ery une;cused a-sence o7er t&ree 4ill result in a drop of $ 2rade points/ 1&ere 4ill
also -e minor assi2nments 2i7en t&rou2&out t&e semester t&at 4ill -e 2raded on a pass?fail
-asis/ .ac& minor assi2nment in 4&ic& you recei7e a failin2 2rade 4ill drop your
attendance?participation 2rade -y ' point/
#&ams% .;ams are desi2ned to measure your understandin2 of and to critically t&in@ a-out
t&e ma3or concepts presented in class/ 1&e e;ams 4ill tec&nically 9O1 -e cumulati7e
alt&ou2& some of t&e su-3ect material may o7erlap across e;ams/
'ab Assi"nments and (ome)or*% 1&ere 4ill -e si; la-?&ome4or@ assi2nments 2i7en
t&rou2&out t&e semester/ .ac& la- assi2nment is 4ort& 5C of your final 2rade/ 1&e
la-?&ome4or@ assi2nments 4ill test your @no4led2e of 7arious statistical met&ods 4e co7er
in class/ "ssistance 4ill -e pro7ided on La- days to aid students 4it& t&eir assi2nments/
Readin"s
+e&t ,oo* -re.uired/% Gau I/520'26/ Statistics for #riminolo2y and #riminal Iustice/
1&ousand Oa@s #": S"G./
Calculator% " 1e;as Instrument 51I6 calculator for statistics suc& as a 1I($0;a 1I($0;II> 1I(
$0JIIS or &i2&er s&ould suffice/
Supplemental Readin2s 4ill -e posted on -lac@-oard t&rou2&out t&e semester/
Course Schedule
0Schedule is +entati$e
S#SS123 +2!1C R#AD 3otes
M F?25 ( Introduction
W F?2* ( Introduction to Statistics #&/ '
+ F?2, ( Introduction to S%SS 'ab
M ,?' ( 'abor Day 3o Class
W ,?$ ( 1ypes of :aria-les #&/ 2
+ ,?5 ( Introduction to S%SS 5cont/6 'ab
M ,?F 4 Le7els of Measurement #&/ 2
W ,?'0 ( %resentin2 Gata #&/ $
+ ,?'2 ( %resentin2 Gata 'ab
M ,?'5 ( Measures of #entral 1endency #&/ )
W ,?'* ( Measures of #entral 1endency #&/ )
+ ,?',
( Measures of #entral 1endency 4it&
S%SS
'ab (ome)or* 1 Due
M ,?22 ( Gispersion #&/ 5
W ,?2) ( Gispersion #&/ 5
+ ,?2! 4 Gispersion 4it& S%SS 'ab
M ,?2, 4 %ro-a-ility and Gistri-utions #&/ !
W '0?' 4 %ro-a-ility and Gistri-utions #&/ !
+ '0?$
4 %ro-a-ility and Gistri-utions 4it&
S%SS
'ab (ome)or* 2 Due
M '0?! ( Samplin2 #&/ *
W '0?F ( Samplin2 #&/ *
+ '0?'0 ( Samplin2 4it& S%SS 'ab
M '0?'$
( %oint .stimates and #onfidence
Inter7als
#&/ F
W '0?'5
( %oint .stimates and #onfidence
Inter7als
#&/ F
+ '0?'*
( %oint .stimates and #onfidence
Inter7als 4it& S%SS
'ab (ome)or* 5 Due
M '0?20 ( Midterm Re7ie4
W '0?22 ( 6idterm #&am
+ '0?2) ( 6idterm #&am 'ab
M '0?2* ( Hypot&esis 1estin2 #&/ ,
W '0?2, ( #&i(S8uare #&/ '0
+ '0?$' 4 #&i(S8uare 4it& S%SS 'ab
M ''?$ 4 1(1ests #&/ ''
W ''?5 4 1(1ests #&/ ''
+ ''?* 4 1(1ests 4it& S%SS 'ab (ome)or* 4 Due
M ''?'0 ( "9O:" #&/ '2
W ''?'2 4 "9O:" #&/ '2
+ ''?') 4 "9O:" 4it& S%SS 'ab
M ''?'* 4 #orrelation #&/ '$
W ''?', 4 #orrelation #&/ '$
+ ''?2' 4 #orrelation 4it& S%SS 'ab (ome)or* 7 Due
M ''?2) ( +han*s"i$in" ,rea* 3o Class
W ''?2! 4 +han*s"i$in" ,rea* 3o Class
+ ''?2F 4 +han*s"i$in" ,rea* 3o Class
M '2?' 4 Re2ression #&/ ')
W '2?$ 4 Re2ression #&/ ')
+ '2?5 4 Re2ression 4it& S%SS 'ab (ome)or* 6 Due
M '2?F ( +inal Re7ie4
M '2?'5 ( Final #&am at 1pm 5pm
Disability Statement
1&is course is open to all students 4&o meet t&e academic re8uirements for participation/ "ny
student 4&o &as a need for accommodation -ased on t&e impact of a disa-ility s&ould contact t&e
instructor pri7ately to discuss t&e specific situation as soon as possi-le/ #ontact Gisa-ility
Resources and Ser7ices at 2'5(20)('2F0 in '00 Ritter "nne; to coordinate reasona-le
accommodations for students 4it& documented disa-ilities/
Statement on Academic Freedom
+reedom to teac& and freedom to learn are insepara-le facets of academic freedom/ 1&e
=ni7ersity &as adopted a policy on Student and +aculty "cademic Ri2&ts and Responsi-ilities
5%olicy K 0$/*0/026 4&ic& can -e accessed t&rou2& t&e follo4in2 lin@:
&ttp:??policies/temple/edu?2etdoc/aspLpolicyMnoN0$/*0/02/
Academic (onesty
1emple =ni7ersity -elie7es stron2ly in academic &onesty and inte2rity/ %la2iarism and academic
c&eatin2 are t&erefore pro&i-ited/ .ssential to intellectual 2ro4t& is t&e de7elopment of
independent t&ou2&t and a respect for t&e t&ou2&ts of ot&ers/ 1&e pro&i-ition a2ainst pla2iarism
and c&eatin2 is intended to foster t&is independence and respect/
Students must assume t&at all 2raded assi2nments 8uiAAes and tests are to -e completed
indi7idually unless ot&er4ise noted in 4ritin2 in t&is sylla-us/ I reser7e t&e ri2&t to refer any
cases of suspected pla2iarism or c&eatin2 to t&e =ni7ersity Gisciplinary #ommitteeO I also
reser7e t&e ri2&t to assi2n a 2rade of P+P for t&e 2i7en paper 8uiA or test/