Research Methodologies and Epistemology I

Code:

MC108

Acronym:

MIEI

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Epistemologia e Metod. de Invest. em Educação

Instance: 2015/2016 - 1S (since 14-09-2015 to 18-12-2015)

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
MC	42	Plano Oficial de MC - 2010	1	-	6	54

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

The students must be able to:
-Acquire knowledge in qualitative and quantitative research methods and its recent developments in the criminological field.
-Acquire training in reading and understand scientific work carried out in both qualitative and quantitative criminological domains.
-Lead students to formal thinking applied to social problems in general and to the study of crime and justice in particular.
-To develop knowledge and methodological and technical skills (qualitative and quantitative) that could converge to the individual research project of the student.

Learning outcomes and competences

-Acquire and deepen the knowledge and methodological and technical skills needed for the design and conduct a qualitative and / or quantitative scientific research project .
-Give-reading skills and critical understanding of scientific papers in the field of criminology in both the qualitative and quantitative empirical research.

Working method

Presencial

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

Not applicable

Program

1. Theoretical and epistemological approaches to the research methods. The development of the scientific research in criminology: theory, methodology and epistemology.
2. Introduction to the scientific research in Criminology and Criminal Justice: theory and methodology.
3. Quantitative and Qualitative research methods. Mixed methods and areas of application.
4. General steps of quantitative research.
5. Quantitative research methods
5.1. Research design: experimental, quasi-experimental and observational (cross-sectional and longitudinal) research designs.
5.2. Sampling strategies: instruments, types of sampling and sample size. Central questions according to the research question and hypothesis.
5.3. Validity, Reliability, and Triangulated strategies.
6. Theoretical and epistemological approach to qualitative research.
7. The process of qualitative research.
7.1. The qualitative collecting data methods: the qualitative interview, observation and documental analysis.
7.2. The quality of qualitative research: objectivity, reliability, validity and generalization.

Mandatory literature

Aebi, Marcelo F.; Comment mesurer la délinquance?. ISBN: 9782200269395
Bachman Ronet; The^practice of research in criminology and criminal justice. ISBN: 0-7619-8706-1
Blumer Herbert; Symbolic interactionism. ISBN: 0-520-05676-0
Bushway Shawn 340; Quantitative methods in criminology. ISBN: 0-7546-2446-3
Campbell Donald T.; Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for research. ISBN: 0-395-30787-2
Denzin Norman K.; Handbook of qualitative research. ISBN: 0-8039-4679-1
Flick Uwe; Métodos qualitativos na investigação científica. ISBN: 972-9413-67-3
Glaser Barney G.; The^discovery of Grounded Theory. ISBN: 0-202-30260-1
Hagan Frank E.; Research methods in criminal justice and criminology. ISBN: 0-205-44739-2
Jessor Richard; Ethnography and human development. ISBN: 0-226-39902-8
King Roy D. 340; Doing research on crime and justice. ISBN: 978-0-19-928762-8
Mason Jennifer; Qualitative researching. ISBN: 0-8039-8986-5
Poupart Jean; De l.École de Chicago au postmodernisme. ISBN: 2-89441-031-X
Piquero Alex R. 340; Handbook of quantitative criminology. ISBN: 978-0-387-77649-1
Rubin Herbert J.; Qualitative interviewing. ISBN: 0-8039-5096-9
ULL; Journal of quantitative criminology. ISBN: 0748-4518

Teaching methods and learning activities

Theoretical and pratical classes.

In the classes it will be described and discussed the main contents and it will be held exercises of application of knowledge adapted to the major study objects and themes in Criminology.

keywords

Social sciences > Criminology
Social sciences

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Teste	100,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	0,00
Frequência das aulas	0,00
Total:	0,00

Eligibility for exams

To obtain frequency the students must to do:
1. Two writen tests (each test has a weight of 50% in the final grade)
or
2. A final exam (100% of weight in the final grade).

Are only admitted to the final exam the students who do not have a minimum grade of 10 on distributed evaluation or have not done one of the written tests.

Calculation formula of final grade

Each test has 50% weighting in the final grade.

The exam has a 100% of weight in the final grade.

Examinations or Special Assignments

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Internship work/project

Not applicable.

Classification improvement

According to the "Regulamento de Avaliação de Conhecimentos do 2º ciclo de estudos em Criminologia".