Topic 7 Assignment: Research Paper Review (70 points) CRIJ 5331 Quantitative Met

Topic 7 Assignment: Research Paper Review (70 points)
CRIJ 5331 Quantitative Methods Criminology
1. Please read the attached articles. Manuscript: Hinduja, Sameer, and Patchin, Justin W. 2013. “Social
Influences on Cyberbullying Behaviors Among Middle and High School Students, Vol. 42: 711-722.
It is also available in Lamar Online Journal database.
2. Please make adequate appreciation and critique of the research design presented in the paper.
a. Overall what are the strengths and weaknesses of this study if you judge the study by its ability to
examine/answer the research questions (topic). You should demonstrate your understanding of this
research and its contributions to our field. 10 points
The general process of evaluating this part could flow as the following:
Ideas -> theories -> hypotheses -> results -> conclusion (support/deny the hypotheses)
b. Please describe the RESEARCH DESIGN of this study in details. You should describe their
(potential) reasons/justifications of adopting those designs. 10 points
c. With regards to the sampling, what do you think of the sampling methods and samples used in the
study? Do you have better ideas? And what kinds of resources you may need to implement your
sampling design? Your ideas need to be something workable instead of being ideal but impossible
to execute. If you have exactly ten thousand dollars more in budgets than the journal researcher(s)
for the job of sampling and/or samples, what would you do to improve your research design? 10
points
d. Do you find the research results trustworthy? Please explain and justify your verdicts. Some of the
high level statistical analysis and terms may beyond your current learning scope but the explanation
of the results and interpretation of those statistics should not be difficult for you to understand.
Therefore, you may pay more attention on those authors’ interpretation but be aware if the results
were based on correct research design and analytical strategy. 10 points
3. Now, you are granted by the Department of Justice for an extension of the abovementioned study to be
conducted in the next year. The DoJ is interested in the victims who were cyberbullied and have
preexisting psychological problems (distress, depression, or anxiety). They found that depression and
anxiety are often demonstrated by many drug users or those who came from families with problems,
and are interested if these victims may have specific outcomes different from other victims who have
no such psychological issues.
a. How will you compose your research design to achieve these goals (make sure you are going to
achieve each of the new goals) the IDA sets for you? 10 points
b. Should you considerate the generalization issue in your research design? If you do, please tell us
how will you do it and justify your choices of the design. If you do not, explain why? 5 points
4. The length of this assignment could range from 3 to 6 pages (double-spaced, 12-point New Roman
font, 1 inches in all margins, APA format. Longer research review is NOT necessarily better.
a. Overall quality of writing and organization. 15 point