Solution and Answer Guide: Michael G. Maxfield, Earl R. Babbie, Amie Schuck, Research Methods for Criminal Justice and Criminology, 9th Edition, © 2025,
9780357763735; Chapter 1: An Introduction to Criminal Justice Inquiry
Solution and Answer Guide
MICHAEL G. MAXFIELD, EARL R. BABBIE, AMIE SCHUCK , RESEARCH METHODS FOR CRIMINAL
JUSTICE AND CRIMINOLOGY, 9TH EDITION , © 2025, 9780357763735; C HAPTER 1: AN
INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE INQUIRY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Review Questions and Exercises...................................................................................1
REVIEW QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES
1. Review the common errors of personal inquiry discussed in this chapter. Search the news and find an
article about a crime- or justice-related problem that illustrates one or more of those errors. Discuss how a
criminal justice researcher would avoid making that error.
Solution:
Students’ answers will vary depending on the source selected. The article should accurately demonstrate
one of the errors of personal inquiry noted in the text (inaccurate observation, overgeneralization, selective
observation, illogical reasoning, ideology, and politics). In their response, students should discuss a
safeguard that corresponds to the error found in the article. For instance, if a student found a news article
that used a poll with a small sample size to indicate the existence of a trend, the student could argue that the
author has made the error of overgeneralization. The safeguard for overgeneralization is using a sufficiently
large sample size. The student could propose that the researcher increases the sample size for the study to
reduce the chances of overgeneralization in analysis. Students may also include in their response the details
in the article that led them to believe an error of personal inquiry was made.
2. Pick a crime- or justice-related problem that you are interested in studying and list the types of questions
you would want answered in an exploratory or descriptive research project on that topic.
Solution:
Students’ answers will vary depending on the topic selected, in tandem with whether they choose an
exploratory or descriptive research approach. For example, if a student chose the topic of juvenile
delinquency and the descriptive approach, they could ask questions like
How many male children are in the juvenile justice system (JJS)? Female?
What is the racial composition of children in the JJS?
What is the average income of families whose children are in the JJS?
© 2025 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly 1
accessible website, in whole or in part.
,Solution and Answer Guide: Michael G. Maxfield, Earl R. Babbie, Amie Schuck, Research Methods for Criminal Justice and Criminology, 9th Edition, © 2025,
9780357763735; Chapter 1: An Introduction to Criminal Justice Inquiry
3. Identify the robbery rate for a city close to your college or university. Briefly discuss examples of
explanatory research as they relate to the robbery rate.
Solution:
For this exercise, students’ answers will depend on the location selected. In taking an explanatory research
approach to the robbery rate, most students will provide examples where the research questions center
around reasons why the rate is what it is; whether high, low, or in-between. This could include questions of
geography, population, and socioeconomic status, among others.
4. Often, things we think are true and supported by considerable experience and evidence turn out not to be
true, or at least not true with the certainty we expected. Criminal justice seems especially vulnerable to this
phenomenon, perhaps because crime and criminal justice policy are so often the subjects of mass and
popular media attention. If news stories, movies, and television shows all point to growing gang- or drug-
related violence, it is easy to assume that these are real problems identified by systematic study. Choose a
criminal justice topic or claim that’s currently prominent in news stories or entertainment. Using Google
Scholar or some other bibliographic tool, search the Internet for two research studies that examine the topic
in systematic ways described in this chapter. Briefly summarize the studies’ findings.
Solution:
Students’ responses will vary depending on the topic choice and their selection of corresponding research
studies. Answers should include a brief summary of each study’s findings. Students may also discuss how
these findings either support or refute common beliefs about criminal justice topics in mass and popular
media.
© 2025 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly 2
accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Solution and Answer Guide: Michael G. Maxfield, Earl R. Babbie, Amie Schuck, Research Methods for Criminal Justice and Criminology, 9th Edition, © 2025,
9780357763735; Chapter 2: Foundations of Criminal Justice research
Solution and Answer Guide
MICHAEL G. MAXFIELD, EARL R. BABBIE, AMIE SCHUCK , RESEARCH METHODS FOR CRIMINAL
JUSTICE AND CRIMINOLOGY, 9TH EDITION , © 2025, 9780357763735; C HAPTER 2: FOUNDATIONS OF
CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESEARCH
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Review Questions and Exercises...................................................................................1
REVIEW QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES
1. In his book Crime and Everyday Life, Marcus Felson (2002) expands on “routine activity theory” as an
explanation for why crime occurs. According to this theory, crimes happen when three elements come
together: (a) a motivated offender, (b) an attractive victim, and (c) absence of capable guardians. Select one
property crime and one violent crime. Apply routine activity theory to explain examples of each. Are you
using theory in an inductive or deductive way?
Solution:
Students’ answers will vary depending upon the selected property crime and violent crime, as well as their
understanding of routine activity theory.
In each crime-type scenario, students should identify the motivated offender, the attractive victim, and the
absence of capable guardian. They should then explain how they relate to each other in the context of
Felson’s routine activity theory.
Concerning inductive versus deductive reasoning, this exercise asks students to apply a theory (routine
activity theory) to individual examples (one violent crime and one property crime). It involves applying a
general theory to a specific case, serving as an example of deductive reasoning.
2. Go to the Crime Solutions website (https://crimesolutions.ojp.gov/) and find a program.
Summarize the program theory. In your summary be sure to describe how the program is designed to
reduce the problem.
Solution:
Students’ answers will vary greatly depending upon the selected program. In their summary, students
should note the problem to be reduced or solved by the program, the theory used to guide the program, how
the program was designed to affect the problem, and whether the program was effective.
© 2025 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly 1
accessible website, in whole or in part.
9780357763735; Chapter 1: An Introduction to Criminal Justice Inquiry
Solution and Answer Guide
MICHAEL G. MAXFIELD, EARL R. BABBIE, AMIE SCHUCK , RESEARCH METHODS FOR CRIMINAL
JUSTICE AND CRIMINOLOGY, 9TH EDITION , © 2025, 9780357763735; C HAPTER 1: AN
INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE INQUIRY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Review Questions and Exercises...................................................................................1
REVIEW QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES
1. Review the common errors of personal inquiry discussed in this chapter. Search the news and find an
article about a crime- or justice-related problem that illustrates one or more of those errors. Discuss how a
criminal justice researcher would avoid making that error.
Solution:
Students’ answers will vary depending on the source selected. The article should accurately demonstrate
one of the errors of personal inquiry noted in the text (inaccurate observation, overgeneralization, selective
observation, illogical reasoning, ideology, and politics). In their response, students should discuss a
safeguard that corresponds to the error found in the article. For instance, if a student found a news article
that used a poll with a small sample size to indicate the existence of a trend, the student could argue that the
author has made the error of overgeneralization. The safeguard for overgeneralization is using a sufficiently
large sample size. The student could propose that the researcher increases the sample size for the study to
reduce the chances of overgeneralization in analysis. Students may also include in their response the details
in the article that led them to believe an error of personal inquiry was made.
2. Pick a crime- or justice-related problem that you are interested in studying and list the types of questions
you would want answered in an exploratory or descriptive research project on that topic.
Solution:
Students’ answers will vary depending on the topic selected, in tandem with whether they choose an
exploratory or descriptive research approach. For example, if a student chose the topic of juvenile
delinquency and the descriptive approach, they could ask questions like
How many male children are in the juvenile justice system (JJS)? Female?
What is the racial composition of children in the JJS?
What is the average income of families whose children are in the JJS?
© 2025 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly 1
accessible website, in whole or in part.
,Solution and Answer Guide: Michael G. Maxfield, Earl R. Babbie, Amie Schuck, Research Methods for Criminal Justice and Criminology, 9th Edition, © 2025,
9780357763735; Chapter 1: An Introduction to Criminal Justice Inquiry
3. Identify the robbery rate for a city close to your college or university. Briefly discuss examples of
explanatory research as they relate to the robbery rate.
Solution:
For this exercise, students’ answers will depend on the location selected. In taking an explanatory research
approach to the robbery rate, most students will provide examples where the research questions center
around reasons why the rate is what it is; whether high, low, or in-between. This could include questions of
geography, population, and socioeconomic status, among others.
4. Often, things we think are true and supported by considerable experience and evidence turn out not to be
true, or at least not true with the certainty we expected. Criminal justice seems especially vulnerable to this
phenomenon, perhaps because crime and criminal justice policy are so often the subjects of mass and
popular media attention. If news stories, movies, and television shows all point to growing gang- or drug-
related violence, it is easy to assume that these are real problems identified by systematic study. Choose a
criminal justice topic or claim that’s currently prominent in news stories or entertainment. Using Google
Scholar or some other bibliographic tool, search the Internet for two research studies that examine the topic
in systematic ways described in this chapter. Briefly summarize the studies’ findings.
Solution:
Students’ responses will vary depending on the topic choice and their selection of corresponding research
studies. Answers should include a brief summary of each study’s findings. Students may also discuss how
these findings either support or refute common beliefs about criminal justice topics in mass and popular
media.
© 2025 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly 2
accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Solution and Answer Guide: Michael G. Maxfield, Earl R. Babbie, Amie Schuck, Research Methods for Criminal Justice and Criminology, 9th Edition, © 2025,
9780357763735; Chapter 2: Foundations of Criminal Justice research
Solution and Answer Guide
MICHAEL G. MAXFIELD, EARL R. BABBIE, AMIE SCHUCK , RESEARCH METHODS FOR CRIMINAL
JUSTICE AND CRIMINOLOGY, 9TH EDITION , © 2025, 9780357763735; C HAPTER 2: FOUNDATIONS OF
CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESEARCH
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Review Questions and Exercises...................................................................................1
REVIEW QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES
1. In his book Crime and Everyday Life, Marcus Felson (2002) expands on “routine activity theory” as an
explanation for why crime occurs. According to this theory, crimes happen when three elements come
together: (a) a motivated offender, (b) an attractive victim, and (c) absence of capable guardians. Select one
property crime and one violent crime. Apply routine activity theory to explain examples of each. Are you
using theory in an inductive or deductive way?
Solution:
Students’ answers will vary depending upon the selected property crime and violent crime, as well as their
understanding of routine activity theory.
In each crime-type scenario, students should identify the motivated offender, the attractive victim, and the
absence of capable guardian. They should then explain how they relate to each other in the context of
Felson’s routine activity theory.
Concerning inductive versus deductive reasoning, this exercise asks students to apply a theory (routine
activity theory) to individual examples (one violent crime and one property crime). It involves applying a
general theory to a specific case, serving as an example of deductive reasoning.
2. Go to the Crime Solutions website (https://crimesolutions.ojp.gov/) and find a program.
Summarize the program theory. In your summary be sure to describe how the program is designed to
reduce the problem.
Solution:
Students’ answers will vary greatly depending upon the selected program. In their summary, students
should note the problem to be reduced or solved by the program, the theory used to guide the program, how
the program was designed to affect the problem, and whether the program was effective.
© 2025 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly 1
accessible website, in whole or in part.
