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Topic: You are a Ph.D. candidate in Criminal Justice and working to find a topic for your dissertation. How would you go about reviewing the existing literature on a topic you find interesting? When reading scholarly articles, what reading methods would you employ to be an active and effective researcher? Replies: Respond to 2 classmate’s threads and state why you agree or disagree with their statements. Be sure to use specific examples from the course material and textbook.CJUS 740 Discussion Assignment Instructions You will take part in 5 Discussions in which you will post a thread presenting your scholarly response on the assigned topic, writing 750–850 words (supported with at least four cites) by Thursday at 11:59pm. Then, you will post replies of 250–300 words (supported with at least two cites) each to 2 or more classmates’ threads by Sunday at 11:59pm. For each thread, students must support their assertions with at least four (4) scholarly citations in current APA format. Each reply must incorporate at least two (2) scholarly citation(s) in current APA format. Any sources cited must have been published within the last five years. The original thread must incorporate ideas and several scholarly citations from all of the required readings and presentations for that Module: Week. The reply posts can integrate ideas and citations from the required readings and presentations for other Modules: Weeks. Integrate Biblical principles in your personal thread and in all replies to peers.CJUS 740 Discussion Grading Rubric Criteria Levels of Achievement Content (70\%) Advanced 92–100\% Proficient 84-91\% Developing 1–83\% Not present Thread: Content 6.5 to 7 points: All key components of the Discussion prompt are answered in the thread. · The thread is well-developed and fully addresses all aspects of the question. · The thread is factually correct, is reflective, and is a substantive contribution. · The thread advances discussion. · The thread contributes to discussion with clear, concise comments. 5.75 to 6.25 points: Most of the key components of the Discussion prompt are answered in a thread. · Major points are stated clearly for the most part. · Additional academic reference support and/or examples is needed · Thoughtful analysis is clearly demonstrated for the most part. 1 to 5.5 points: The key components of the Discussion prompt are not adequately answered. · Not all the major points are clearly stated and supported. · Lacks academic support and/or examples. · Thoughtful analysis is not clearly demonstrated. 0 points Not present Thread: Research Engagement 6.5 to 7 points: · A minimum of two peer-reviewed/scholarly sources are referenced and integrated. · Peer-reviewed articles are recent and relevant. 5.75 to 6.25 points: · A minimum of two peer-reviewed/scholarly sources are integrated somewhat. · Academic quality is lacking. 1 to 5.5 points: References are not peer-reviewed/scholarly sources and/or appropriately integrated. 0 points Not present Replies: Content 6.5 to 7 points: At least 2 substantive replies given in response to classmates’ threads that: · Relate to the concepts learned through the required readings and · Share relevant additional knowledge. 5.75 to 6.25 points: At least 2 substantive replies given in response to classmates’ threads. More attention should be given to: · The concepts learned through the required readings and · Shared relevant additional knowledge. 1 to 5.5 points: · Missing one reply. · Reply posts are redundant. · New ideas, research, and/or analysis are not adequately included. 0 points Not present Replies: Research Engagement 6.5 to 7 points: A minimum of 2 academic /scholarly source is referenced and integrated. 5.75 to 6.25 points: A minimum of 1 academic /scholarly source is referenced and integrated somewhat. Academic quality is lacking. 1 to 5.5 points: References are not academic/scholarly sources and/or appropriately integrated. 0 points Not present Thread & Replies Biblical Worldview 6.5 to 7 points: The post brings clarity to issues being discussed, relating issues to scriptural/biblical principles and experience. 5.75 to 6.25 points: The post brings some clarity to issues being discussed, relating issues to scriptural/biblical principles and experience. 1 to 5.5 points: · Attention is needed to clarify issues beinTopic: You are a Ph.D. candidate in Criminal Justice and working to find a topic for your dissertation. How would you go about reviewing the existing literature on a topic you find interesting? When reading scholarly articles, what reading methods would you employ to be an active and effective researcher? Replies: Respond to 2 classmate’s threads and state why you agree or disagree with their statements. Be sure to use specific examples from the course material and textbook.34 Applied Dissertation Template Revised 6/20/19 The purpose of this template is to ensure that the dissertation manuscript is a quality document. This template provides information about formatting and the content contained in each section of the dissertation. Formatting The margins for all chapters of the dissertation are as follows: 1 inch at the top and bottom, 1 inch on the right side, and 1 inch on the left side. All text should be Times New Roman, 12-point font. Text within the body of the manuscript should be left justified. Double spacing should be employed throughout the manuscript. Page numbers should all be Arabic numerals and placed in the upper right-hand corner (with the page number on the first page suppressed). All manuscripts should follow the latest version of the APA style manual. Below is the Applied Dissertation Template with a description of each section. 0 iv THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE TITLE PAGE: THE TITLE SHOULD GO HERE (ALL CAPS) by Student’s Full Legal Name Liberty University A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education Liberty University Year THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE SIGNATURE PAGE: THE TITLE SHOULD GO HERE (ALL CAPS) by Student’s Full Legal Name A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA Year APPROVED BY: Name and degree, Committee Chair Name and degree, Committee Member ABSTRACT The abstract summarizes the contents of the manuscript, starting with the purpose (see template below) or rationale of the study, the research questions (or at least the central research question), the methods, and the results. The first sentence is not indented. Descriptions of the methods should include the design, the sample, setting, and data collection and analysis methods. Approximately 250 words or less is recommended. It is written in future tense until the study is completed. No more than one page is allowable, and the abstract should be written as one, double-spaced paragraph. Author-date citations and direct quotes are not included. The abstract should include results of the study but should not include statistics, discussion of, or reference to, the literature review. The word “ABSTRACT” should be in all caps and a Level 1 heading, centered, but not bold. As an outline for your abstract, we recommend the template adapted from Creswell (1994, 2003): The purpose of this applied study was to solve the problem of ________________ (identify the problem of practice) for ____________ (identify site/setting and stakeholders) and to design ___________ (identify the project - curriculum, intervention, training, etc.) to address the problem. Briefly introduce proposed data collection and data analysis strategies designed to describe the problem, followed by a general description of the project (curriculum, training, program, etc.) that DISSERTATION PROCESS The idea of completing a dissertation can be overwhelming. In fact, the process seems so threatening to some Doctoral Students that they never begin or finish their dissertation. It is helpful to disregard the dissertation as one enormous journey, but consider it a series of steps. For practical purposes, HSOG conceptualizes the dissertation process as having the following steps: 1. Select a topic: this occurs through the process of the student’s chosen cognate and/or other courses in the degree. 2. Chair and Committee selection process: students will be assigned a chair and reader as part of their chosen research path/cognate and will also have some opportunity to solicit a chair and reader of their preference. 3. Complete the proposal 4. Defend the proposal 5. Obtain approval by the Internal Review Board (IRB) 6. Conduct the research 7. Complete the final chapters 8. Submit the entire dissertation for final approval 9. Obtain a professional editor to review for form and style 10. Defend the dissertation 11. Submit the final dissertation and resubmit for further professional editorial review if further changes were made to the document post defense. Below is an overview of how the dissertation process fits within the Student’s degree completion plan: CJUS/PADM/PLCY 885 Comprehensive Exam & Research Concept In this course the student completes the comprehensive exam and writes a paper which serves as a “proto - dissertation”. CJUS/PADM/PLCY 987 Dissertation I Proposal (Chapters 1-2) This course is the first step for doctoral candidates in the process of developing and completing their research study and dissertation. Doctoral candidates will develop Section 1, which includes the Foundation of the Study, to include a detailed Literature Review relevant to the proposed research study. CJUS/PADM/PLCY 988 Dissertation II Chapter 3 & Proposal This course is the second step for doctoral candidates to develop and complete their dissertation. Doctoral candidates will develop Section 2, which includes their methodology for conducting the study, and combine it with Section 1 into a single document. Candidates will also complete and submit their IRB package to complete their proposal defense. CJUS/PADM/PLCY 989 Dissertation III Chapters 4-5 This course is the final step in developing the dissertation manuscript. Doctoral candidates will conduct their field study, analyze their data, and present their findings and develop Section 3 of their dissertation. Candidates will combine all three sections into their completed dissertation manuscript in preparation for their dissertation defense. CJUS/PADM/PLCY 990 Dissertation IV Dissertation Defense This course is the last step in the doctoral program. Doctoral candidates will defend their dissertation and finalize their dissertation manuscript for publication.Chapter 1: Crime, Criminal Justice, and Scientific Inquiry 1 Learning Objectives • Understand why knowledge of research methods is valuable to criminal justice professionals. • Describe the different ways we know things. • Distinguish inquiry as a natural human activity from inquiry through systematic empirical research. • Recognize that much of our knowledge is based on agreement rather than on direct experience. • Explain how tradition and authority are important sources of knowledge. © 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 2 Learning Objectives, cont. • Understand the role of experience and systematic observation in criminal justice research. • Recognize that social science guards against, but does not prevent, political beliefs from affecting research findings. • Distinguish the different purposes of research. • Understand how to design a research project. • Be able to conduct a review of research literature. • Describe how to write a research proposal. © 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 3 Why Study Research Methods? • Criminal Justice professionals are both consumers and producers of research • It is important for Criminal Justice professionals to be informed consumers of research • Need to understand findings and how to apply those findings to his or her department © 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 4 Two Realities • Experiential reality – The things we know from direct experience (e.g., learning that a burner is hot by touching a stove) • Agreement reality – Things we consider real because we have been told they are real, and everyone agrees (e.g., sun sets in the West) • Kansas City Preventive Patrol Experiment revealed the agreement reality that simply increasing patrols decreased crime was misleading © 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 5 The Role of Science • Empirical research - Knowledge produced based on experience or observation • Scientists have certain criteria to be met when accepting experiential and agreement realities • An assertion must have both logical and empirical support • Methodology - The science of finding out © 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 6 Personal Human Inquiry • Future circumstances are caused or conditioned by present ones • We use causal and probabilistic reasoning • The goal is to understand why certain things are related, why patterns occur, to enable us to make more accurate predictions © 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 7 Secondhand Knowledge • Tradition – Things that “everybody knows” • Ex: Driving on the left side of the road in the US is dangerous • Authority – Trusting the judgment of someone with special expertise • Ex: You are more likely to believe a judge regarding your driver’s license suspension than your parents • Both provide us with a starting point for our own inquiry © 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 8 Discussion Quest2019-06-13 DISSERTATION MANUAL Ph.D. in Criminal Justice Ph.D. in Public Policy Doctorate in Public Administration 2019-06-13 2 HSOG Dissertation Guide TABLE OF CONTENTS From the Program Directors I. Introduction II. Overview of the Dissertation Process III. Planning & Budgeting of the Dissertation Process IV. Formatting & Style V. Steps in the Dissertation Process VI. Components of the Completed Dissertation 2019-06-13 3 HSOG Dissertation Guide FROM THE PH.D. PROGRAM DIRECTORS Dear Doctoral Candidate: Congratulations on reaching this final stage of your Doctoral journey! You began this journey several years ago and step after step completed all of your coursework and Comprehensive Examination Now you face the capstone of the Doctor of Philosophy Program: the dissertation. Even before Students arrive at the landmark dissertation stage, they have many questions about the dissertation and the process by which they complete one. To address these overarching issues, the Helms School of Government developed this dissertation guide. It is our hope that this process will prepare you for a lifetime of meaningful research and scholarship that not only evidences the knowledge and skills you have ascertained in this program, but, more importantly, reflects the Heart of Christ for justice, advocacy, mercy, and healing for all of mankind. May God bless you with all that you need to flourish abundantly as you conduct you r research and write your dissertation. Our prayers are with you! Dr. Joel Cox, Chair of Criminal Justice, Helms School of Government Online. Dr. Kahlib Fischer, Online Chair, Helms School of Government Dr. Doug Orr, Criminal Justice Program Director Dr. Timothy P. O’Brien, Public Policy Program Director Dr. Harry McGinnis , Public Administration Program Director 2019-06-13 4 HSOG Dissertation Guide I. INTRODUCTION A. Purpose The purpose of this document is to assist Criminal Justice, Public Policy, and Public Administration Doctoral Students in completing their dissertation at Liberty University. The best academic tradition and professional practice requires the University to prepare Doctoral Students to conduct Doctoral dissertation research that suits them for a lifetime of meaningful empirical and scholarly endeavors that impact society. Because the completed dissertation is a publication of Liberty University, the Helms School of Government must maintain high standards concerning the form and appearance of dissertations and require that all work by each student conforms to those standards. This guide sets forth those standards and provides a set of directives for Doctoral Students as they journey through the dissertation process. This guide is also intended to serve as an aid to faculty involved in Chairing Candidate’s dissertations. It provides an overview of the dMarch 22, 2021 11:54:36 AM EDT 1 day ago Paul Alexander Paul Alexander D/B 1 Collapse Top of Form D/B 1 Paul Alexander Choosing a Dissertation Topic             The ultimate goal of any doctoral dissertation is to add to a particular field of study or discipline.  When contemplating a dissertation topic, it is essential to remember there are various ways of selecting a subject matter for research.  However, there is one way that will yield better results than most others.  When someone selects a dissertation topic that they have an interest in or is selected based on their personal experiences, it may hold the researcher’s interest and produce a more interesting outcome for the reader.  The one cautionary note would be confirmation bias if selecting a topic with deep personal meaning.   If the student cares about the topic selected, it may be more likely to contribute to the field of study the researcher has chosen.  Segol (2014) notes four things that can influence selecting a dissertation topic, familiarity, trends, feasibility, and other influencing factors.  First, familiarity with a particular topic should be part of the equation of selecting a topic.  Without it, the researcher would have to spend an inordinate amount of time learning about the topic from the ground up.  A lack of familiarity can also create a situation where the researcher does not fully understand some of the topic’s nuances of the area they are attempting to research.  A lack of familiarity can have a profound effect on the final product the researcher produces.  Second, trends are another area where students may be influenced to choose a dissertation topic.  By reading the headlines or following the news, students could be drawn to the hot button topics of the day.  This method of selecting may lead them to believe they have found a suitable dissertation topic.  Third, the dissertation topic’s feasibility can affect the outcome or the inability to produce a quality dissertation.  If the subject matter selected for a dissertation is too broad, too narrow, or otherwise poorly conceived, it may be impossible to achieve satisfactory results.  Finally, other factors may influence a student’s decision to select a particular dissertation topic.  If a topic is selected solely based on how they feel about the particular topic can be problematic.  The student may not seek out quality data and may rely only on what is familiar.  When selecting a dissertation topic, if the student uses the four elements just discussed, it will lay the foundation for solid research.   Reviewing the Literature             One of the keys to a student identifying a dissertation topic is to review the available literature on a topic or in the field of interest.  Boone & Beile (2005) note that a thorough and careful literature review is a precondition for conducting quality research.  The literature review will also prepare the student for writing their dissertation and provide themMarch 22, 2021 10:10:46 AM EDT 1 day ago Frank Peris Frank Peris Discussion One Collapse Top of Form The determination of a dissertation is undoubtedly the most important decision of any PhD student’s program, embodying years of research and practical experience. Making this decisive decision begins simply with the identification of a problem within a specified field of study. Identifying a problem for PHS students, who are typically further in life and employment aspirations, becomes envisioned through personal encounters, experiences, or difficulties. For example, throughout my career as a local patrol officer, I often desired better equipment, more effective policing methods, and increased manpower. Throughout these frustrations, one clear item manifested itself as a mitigation tool, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (drones). Once realizing the value of drones, I wanted to share this multipurpose tool with neighboring police, fire, and emergency management agencies. The difficult realization of this ambition is present on many levels, beginning first with the establishment of instructor credibility. Attending a PhD program would begin to solidify myself as a knowledgeable college professor and therefore enable me to become one step closer to seeing the widespread implementation of drones in criminal justice related fields. However, as this discussion format highlights, it is not enough to just decide on a topic, comprehensive research methods like article evaluation and the analysis of existing information surrounding this topic is imperative. Maxfield & Babbie (2018) explain many strategies to reviewing existing literature, ranging from more generalized to selective approaches, weighting the differences of aspects like an in-person library versus online databases. In selecting such an up and coming research topic, like the widespread implementation of drones, the obvious choice appears more technology related but an argument can be made for traditional methods as well. For example, newer technology like license plate readers have enabled investigators to obtain additional information about suspect vehicles, direction of travel, and time frames pertaining to the crime (Willis et al, 2017). Plate readers seem like an obvious tool to be trusted and valued amongst law enforcement, however recent literature by Willis et al (2017), argue that the use of plate readers are problematic because of character identification errors, erosion of investigation skills, and invasion of privacy issues. This example, disputing what many assume as common knowledge in police work, shows the obvious need to remain open minded when reviewing existing literature, instead focusing on the integrity and purpose of the information. Selective review of existing literature for a modern topic like drones is especially important, supporting the notion that Maxfield & Babbie (2018) suggest toward government reports or studies. Drones face many limitations before w