Class test preparation
Assessments in CRIM3714 will predominantly be application based. This means that you should be able
to:
a) Identify the appropriate response from a case study or selected section of a research study
b) Justify your response based on the aims or proposed outcomes of the study
c) Distinguish between opposing elements of the research design and explain the differences
d) Critically discuss the strengths and limitations of the various elements of the research
Therefore when studying for the assessments it is important to understand:
a) The definitions of the key terms identified in the lecture slides (if you understand the definitions
of the terms, you will also understand how they are most appropriately applied)
b) The strengths and limitations of the various methodological paradigms, research designs, purposes
of research, time dimensions, units of analysis, sampling methods (always mention if it is
probability or non-probability sampling and then mention the specific type) and data collection
methods
c) The core assumptions of the different methodological paradigms and purposes of research
d) How these aspects of research methodology relate to one another in order to satisfy the overall
research aims and objectives
Examples of assessment questions:
If the study is about homeless people you are not likely to find a list of homeless people within a specific
area. However, if you go to that area and speak to one or more homeless people, you may find that they
know of others in the vicinity and how you can find them.
Identify the type of sampling method required and critically discuss the strengths and limitations of this
approach.
(8 marks)
A researcher wants to examine the behaviour of school-going youths in conflict with the law but wanted
to make sure that they we were able to make generalizable conclusions about males and females from
different racial, educational and socioeconomic groups representative of the schools population. This is an
example of which type of sampling?
Assessments in CRIM3714 will predominantly be application based. This means that you should be able
to:
a) Identify the appropriate response from a case study or selected section of a research study
b) Justify your response based on the aims or proposed outcomes of the study
c) Distinguish between opposing elements of the research design and explain the differences
d) Critically discuss the strengths and limitations of the various elements of the research
Therefore when studying for the assessments it is important to understand:
a) The definitions of the key terms identified in the lecture slides (if you understand the definitions
of the terms, you will also understand how they are most appropriately applied)
b) The strengths and limitations of the various methodological paradigms, research designs, purposes
of research, time dimensions, units of analysis, sampling methods (always mention if it is
probability or non-probability sampling and then mention the specific type) and data collection
methods
c) The core assumptions of the different methodological paradigms and purposes of research
d) How these aspects of research methodology relate to one another in order to satisfy the overall
research aims and objectives
Examples of assessment questions:
If the study is about homeless people you are not likely to find a list of homeless people within a specific
area. However, if you go to that area and speak to one or more homeless people, you may find that they
know of others in the vicinity and how you can find them.
Identify the type of sampling method required and critically discuss the strengths and limitations of this
approach.
(8 marks)
A researcher wants to examine the behaviour of school-going youths in conflict with the law but wanted
to make sure that they we were able to make generalizable conclusions about males and females from
different racial, educational and socioeconomic groups representative of the schools population. This is an
example of which type of sampling?
