Quantitative Methods

Code:

C109

Acronym:

METQ

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Scientific Research Methods

Instance: 2019/2020 - 1S (since 16-09-2019 to 20-12-2019)

Active?	Yes
Course/CS Responsible:	Criminology

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
C	55	Oficial Study Plan LC	1	-	6	-

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

The Curricular Unit aims at providing an introduction to the formal thinking applied to social themes and problems, especially those related with crime and criminal justice. It is centered in the knowledge and the application of quantitative methods in criminal justice topics. It further aims at allowing students to aquire abilities to read and understand quantitative scientifical research produced in Criminology and Behavioral Sciences.

Learning outcomes and competences

By the end of the curricular unit students should be able to:

 

• Understand the logic of scientific research, experimentation and statistical inference

• Know the main quantitative methods, research designs and instruments in Criminology

• Be able to dissect methodologicaly quantitative scientific papers, understanding its main constituints

• Be able to draft a quantitative research project that includes planning, formulation of hypothesis, and research design and data collection instruments.
   

 

Working method

Presencial

Program

I. The quantitative research in Criminology.
1. The logic of the quantitative research.

i. Scientific Knowledge;

ii. Scientific research and the cycle of quantitative research;

iii. The logic of the statistical inference (the approach of Neyman-Pearson) 

2. General steps of quantitative research: observation; problem definition, exploration, and level of analysis; formulation of hypothesis; operationalization, instruments of data collection; research design; interpreting the results; applying quantitative research to Criminology.

3. Quantitative research methods and techniques

1. Surveys: measurement scales; survey using opinion polls (type, characteristics and limits of opinion polls); questionnaires (defining the research question, the hypothesis and the conceptual framework; the process of questionnaire construction; types of questions and principles); applications to criminological research.

2- Population and Sampling techniques. Types of Sample. Sample size.

3-Research designs: Cross-sectional studies, longitudinal studies (panel and cohort studies); time series analysis; experimental studies.

III- Domains of application in Criminology: the measures of criminality (official Statistics, Victimization surveys, delinquency surveys).

Mandatory literature

Bushway Shawn 340; Quantitative methods in criminology. ISBN: 0-7546-2446-3
Hagan Frank E.; Research methods in criminal justice and criminology. ISBN: 0-205-44739-2
Piquero Alex R. 340; Handbook of quantitative criminology. ISBN: 978-0-387-77649-1
Silva Augusto Santos 1956- 340; Metodologia das ciências sociais
Vicente, P.; Reis, E.; Ferrão, F.; Sondagens. A amostragem como factor decisivo de qualidade., Edições Sílabo, 2001. ISBN: 972-618-246-8
Campbell Donald T.; Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for research. ISBN: ISBN 0-395-30787-2
Bachman Ronet; The^practice of research in criminology and criminal justice. ISBN: 978-1-4129-5032-9
Dienes Zoltán; Understanding psychology as a science. ISBN: 978-0-230-54230-3

Complementary Bibliography

Fink Arlene; How to conduct surveys. ISBN: 1-4129-1423-X
Vaus David A. de; Research design in social research. ISBN: 978-0-7619-5347-0
Byrne David; Interpreting quantitative data. ISBN: 0-7619-6262-X
Cherulnik Paul D.; Methods for behavioral research. ISBN: 0-7619-2199-0
Leong Frederick T. L. 340; The^psychology research handbook. ISBN: 0-8039-7049-8
Peterson Robert A.; Constructing effective questionnaires. ISBN: 0-7619-1641-5
Fowler Jr. Floyd J.; Survey research methods. ISBN: 0-7619-2191-5
King Roy D. 340; Doing research on crime and justice. ISBN: 978-0-19-928762-8
Magalhães, P.; Sondagens, Eleições e Opinião Pública, Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos, 2011

Teaching methods and learning activities

Theoretical and practice/laboratorial classes.
Theoretical classes are used to describe and discuss the main contents of the discipline. Practice/laboratorial classes are used to training and making practical exercises applied to the criminological field. In particular, the analysis of scientific papers focusing in methodological and technical procedures.

The students must realize a pratical work, for evaluation purposes, in which they should demonstrate the abilities in the methodological analysis of quantitative research work.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Exame	75,00
Trabalho escrito	25,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	46,00
Frequência das aulas	38,00
Trabalho escrito	19,00
Total:	103,00

Eligibility for exams

See general rules.

Calculation formula of final grade

See general rules.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

See general rules.

Classification improvement

See general rules.