Criminal Justice Statistics

CRJU 3305

Course Description

Criminal Justice Statistics is a survey course designed to introduce undergraduate students to a wide range of statistical techniques used in the social sciences. This course is a general survey of statistical methods used in the criminal justice field. We will begin with a study of descriptive research techniques, with an emphasis on the design and statistical analysis of descriptive experimentation. Topics will include central tendency and dispersion, probability theory, frequency distributions and percentiles, correlation and regression, and descriptive research design. Next we will study inferential research techniques, with an emphasis on the design and statistical analysis of controlled experimental procedures. Topics will include sampling procedures and distributions, hypothesis testing, within and between subjects designs, tests of the difference between two means, and one-way and factorial analyses of variance. Throughout the course, considerable emphasis will be placed on practical application and interpretation of the statistical procedures covered..

Text

Healey, Joseph F. (1999) Statistics: A Tool For Social Research. Fifth Edition. Belmont: Wadsworth Publishing Company.

Grading

The grading scale for this class will be:

This course is a junior level undergraduate course. As such, attendance is required in this course. No excuses. Do not miss scheduled classes. Class attendance and participation will count for 10% of your final grade. You cannot participate if you do not attend.

There will be four exams and a series of homework assignments. The exams will count 20% each (for a total of 80%), homework will be worth 10%; and class attendance and participation will be worth the remaining 10% of your total grade.

The exams will be multiple choice tests consisting of up to 25 questions each plus a series of computational exercises very much like the homework assignments.

Plagiarism

College and University regulations regarding academic misconduct, as set forth in the UALR Student Handbook and other University documents and publications will be strictly enforced. Any student caught in the act of cheating will be assigned a grade of F (0 points) for that examination and cannot retake the exam. If your written work does not appear to be your own, you will be questioned informally about the issue. The general rule to follow is this: if a thought is not your original thought or a product of your analysis, then the original author should be cited.

Students with Disabilities

It is the policy of UALR to accommodate students with disabilities, pursuant to federal and state law. Any student with a disability who needs accommodation, for example, in seating placement or in arrangements for examinations, should inform the instructor at the beginning of the course. The chair of the department offering this course is also available to assist with accommodations. Students with disabilities are also encouraged to contact the Office of Disability support services, which is located in the Donaghey Student Center, Room 103, telephone 569-3143.

Course Schedule

This course will generally adhere to the following schedule for class meetings: