Research Methods for Criminal Justice, Essay Example

Statistical Hypothesis

This is a method that uses experimental data to make statistical based decisions.  Hypothesis is defined as a statement which can be true or wrong of how two or more variables relate with each other.  Statistical hypothesis can be defined as a statement on a population parameter, for instance mode, variance, proportion, etc or a kind of probability distribution that a variable obeys. A statistical hypothesis could either be simple or composite. A simple statistical hypothesis specifies only one value of a population parameter while a composite statistical hypothesis specifies more than one value of a population parameter.  Since they are about relationships, they may or may not match the reality.

Statistical hypothesis are characterized by the salient feature that an ordinary attempt to test them by observing facts that are relevant to the hypothesis in a sample. The sample may or may not be a well representation of the whole population.

Hypothesis Testing

Hypothesis testing is a test carried out to determine the nature of the hypothesis stated. It is carried out to two competing claims or hypothesis. These two hypotheses are the null and the alternative hypothesis; the null hypothesis is denoted by H₀ whereas the alternative hypothesis is denoted by H₁. In testing hypothesis, there are two possibilities: First, the experiment could be undertaken to reject or disapprove a hypothesis, the null hypothesis. Here we give priority so as to ensure that the hypothesis cannot be rejected unless there is sufficient evidence to the contrary. Then, secondly, if either the null or the alternative hypothesis is simpler and clearer, priority is given to the complex one so that it is not accepted unless there is sufficient knowledge to the contrary. Hypothesis testing results in either reject the null hypothesis in favor of the alternative hypothesis or do not reject the null hypothesis.

Null hypothesis

The null hypothesis is proposition postulated because of believe as true or for its use as a basis for argument. In research methods, a special attention is given to the null hypothesis since it is a relation of the statement being tested whereas the alternative hypothesis is a relation of the statement that is acceptable if and / or when the null hypothesis is rejected.  The final conclusion is gotten in terms of null hypothesis. When the null hypothesis is not true then it implies that the alternative hypothesis could be true.

The process of testing hypothesis involves stating the null hypothesis and the alternative hypothesis that are to be tested, then a consideration of the assumption made in doing the test is carried out, then the test statistic is computed and a comparison of the test statistic and the relevant critical values is made and finally a decision is made on whether t accept or reject the null hypothesis.

Empirical Hypothesis          

Empirical hypothesis proposes a claim on how variables relates and attempts to validate it through observation. It involves validating the empirical character of the population. Empirical hypothesis involves setting an empirical test of the theory to validate the empirical hypothesis formulated. The hypothesis statement is centered on the empirical character of the population. The character in the hypothesis statement must verifiable empirically. This method of criminal justice research helps the researcher to clearly validate the research results or outcome. Empirical hypothesis are used in criminal justice study to research on those aspects that can be verified empirically. It is not suitable where it is difficult to empirically verify some aspects of study.

Working Hypothesis

This is a provisionally accepted hypothesis that a researcher assumes for the purpose of a certain task or assignment. It is designed basically for a particular task and hence is customized to suit the requirements of the assignment. They act as a guide for research or investigation that is being carried out and seeks to explain the causes of a set of observations. To enable a researcher to test the working hypothesis, the researcher develops the null hypothesis and tests it. After testing the null hypothesis, the researcher the makes a conclusion on whether the working hypothesis is correct depending on the results of the research.

Scientific Inquiry

Scientific inquiry is a method of inquiry which involves investigative techniques for inquiring into phenomena, knowledge acquisition and validating and integrating available knowledge. The method is termed as scientific since it is based on collecting evidence that is empirical, observable and measurable. Scientific inquiry requires skills such as observatory, communication, measuring, inferring, hypothesizing, sequencing, classifying, defining, manipulating and controlling the variables in an experiment and interpreting, analyzing, evaluating the data collected by the researcher and collecting the findings. Scientific inquiry is used to make connection to situations, to review the already known knowledge considering the experimental evidence obtained.

Scientific inquiry is carried out in a series of steps known as an inquiry cycle which involves formulating the hypothesis or question, planning and carrying out the experiment, outcomes observation and data collection, data analyzing, summarizing and communicating the outcome and finally revising the hypothesis in light of the evidence obtained and starting the cycle again. Carrying out these procedures helps the criminal researcher to come up with evidence regarding a certain situation.

One variable hypothesis

One variable hypothesis is hypothesis statement which can be true or wrong of how one independent variable relates with an independent variable. An example of a one variable hypothesis is the hypothesis that “all men in Chicago are medium sized’. These hypotheses statements only consider one variable aspect of a population and consider how this independent affects a given dependent variable. It is also easy to validate the statements since how they affect the aspect of study can be clearly and easily seen. However it is rear to get a population which is affected by only one variable and hence one variable hypothesis are not good methods of criminal justice research since it ignores other aspects.

Two-variable hypothesis

Two-variable hypothesis are hypothesis statements of how two independent variables or aspects of a population affects a dependent variable. These two aspects of a population are selected by the researcher who before he or she states the hypothesis for the study. This research method of criminal justice research gives a better result that the one-variable hypothesis. It is suitable for research into how two dominant aspects or variables of the population affect a dependent aspect of the population. These hypothesis statements are easy to formulate since they only involve two variables. They are also easy to verify since the statements are fairly straight forward and the relationship of the aspects can be easily identified.

k-variable hypothesis

These are hypothesis statements of how three or more independent variables or aspects of a population affect a dependent aspect of a population. They help the researcher study how many aspects of a population that can be varied affect an aspect of the population that is dependent on the independent aspects. This method of criminal justice research is important in that it combines many aspects in just one hypothesis statements to be validated. However it becomes difficult for the researcher to exactly determine how these many aspects affects a dependent aspect of the population.

Work cited

Maxfield, S. D., Michael, G. and Earl, R. “Basics of Research Methods for Criminal Justice and Criminology”. Belmont, CA : Thomson/Wadsworth, 2009.

Wyllys, Ronald E. “Statistical Hypothesis”. University of Texas at Austin School of Information. 15 Jan 2003. 30 September 2009. <http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~wyllys/IRLISMaterials/stathyp.pdf>

Professor Darden, Lindley. “The Nature of Scientific Inquiry”. Department of Philosophy, University of Maryland, College Park. 2006. 30 September 2009. <http://ddc.hampshire.edu/simforest/about/inquiry.html>