Department
of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice
(229)
333-5943
CRJU 3401A: Criminal
Justice Data Analysis
Instructor: Dr. Wilson Huang Credit
hours: 3
Phone: (229) 333-5486 Semester/Year:
Summer IV, 2004
Office:
E-mail:
whuang@valdosta.edu Class
day/time: M-F/1:00-3:35pm
3:35-4:00pm (review)
Office Hours: 11:30am- 1:00pm, Tuesday and Thursday
I will be available to help you in my office
during the above posted hours. If your schedule conflicts with my office hours,
we can set up a special time to discuss your needs. Also, if you prefer to have
an uninterrupted discussion with me, I recommend that you schedule an
appointment with me.
Prerequisites
CRJU 1000 – Introduction
to Criminal Justice
The primary purposes of
the course are to provide students with a statistical background in data
analysis, and to have students develop computer skills important to the
evaluation and management of empirical data.
During the course, students will learn how to access and use different
computer programs and other resources in the lab. The course will focus on applied statistics
and inferential logic used in criminal justice and other criminological
research. Major topics include measures
of central tendency, test of statistical significance, bivariate association,
comparison of means, correlation, and regression analyses. Computer exercises are used to familiarize
students with important features of statistical software. Students will need to employ the computer
package MicroCase, a program that combines statistics with real data, to
complete their exercises. Students will
learn how to use MicroCase to manage, analyze, and interpret data. It is anticipated that the instruction of
applied statistics in conjunction with the usage of MicroCase will provide
students with practical skills in both statistics and computer.
1.
To prepare students to conduct various data analyses using knowledge and tools
derived from statistics.
2. To familiarize
students with descriptive and inferential statistics to be used in social
science research.
3.
To make students a criminal justice data analyst who can apply statistics and
computer skill in interpretation and presentation of data.
4. To enhance students’
understanding of statistics through hand computation, lab exercise, and real
data.
A
hand-held calculator with addition/subtraction/multiplication/division and
square-root functions
A
3 ˝ inch, double-sides, high-density, IBM-formatted computer disk
Class Format
The class will consist
of regular lectures and computer exercises.
The lectures will cover issues on formulas, computation, and application
of statistics, while labs will emphasize on statistical analyses of actual data
using MicroCase.
1).
Examinations: There will be two non-cumulative exams, and a final comprehensive
examination. The final exam will be
given in an open book format. Each test
will be taken in the lab and will cover the assigned readings, handouts,
lectures, and exercises. Multiple choice
questions and computational questions will be used for each exam.
2). Computational
assignments and computer exercises: Three computational assignments will be
given to students and are due on the dates specified on the assignment sheets.
Computer exercises are provided on the MicroCase workbook, and will be
performed periodically in the lab. Any
assignment and exercise submitted after the due date will be marked down at least 50% of the designated
points. The student who submitted a late assignment
also needs to provide the instructor a written explanation.
3). Reading assignments:
The reading assignments will correspond generally to what is going on in class,
but in many cases the materials presented in class will be organized in a form
different from what you read from the text.
Students should consider all the materials discussed in the text and
class to be required.
4).
Attendance and participation: Each student is expected to attend all
classes. A student should not miss more
than two classes. When a student misses
more than 20% of the scheduled classes, he/she will be subject to receiving a
failing grade. If students miss a class
for any reason, students will be held responsible for all materials covered and
announcements made in your absence.
Participation in classroom discussion is strongly encouraged. Students should make comments and ask
questions that will benefit the entire class.
Students will be graded on both their attendance and the amount and
quality of their contribution to classroom discussion.
Grading
System
Course
grade will be based upon examinations, computational assignments, computer
exercises, and class participation. The specific percentages of each of the
elements are described below.
Three exams (100 points each): 60% (your average score x .60)
Three computational assignments (6 points each): 18%
MicroCase exercises (1 to 2 points each): 16%
Attendance and participation (4 points total): 6%
------------------ ----
Total 100%
The
following example illustrates how your grade is calculated. Let’s assume the average score of your tests
is 90. This average score weighted by
60% equals 54 (i.e., 90*.60=54). Then
you sum this weighted test score with the other three performance scores. Assuming that you got 16 points for
computational assignments, 15 points for MicroCase exercises, and 5 points for
participation, the sum of these scores plus the exam score would be 90 points
(i.e., 54+16+15+5), which equalizes you for an “A” grade.
Grades
for any exams, assignments, or the course will not be posted on-line or given
by e-mail or telephone. If you’d like to know your grades prior to receiving
official notice from the registrar, you may leave a self-addressed, stamped
envelope with the instructor.
The
instructor is not under any obligation to give a make-up exam unless the
student has a valid excuse. Valid
excuses are those recognized by the University and include illness, religious
observation, participation in University activities at the request of the University,
or compelling circumstances beyond the student’s control. The student is required to contact the
instructor prior to the scheduled exam.
Failure to give prior notice of absence for a scheduled exam will result
in the student receiving a zero for that exam.
If the student misses an exam, it is the student’s responsibility to
schedule a make-up. The student must
take the make-up exam within a week following the scheduled exam date.
Rules
on Disruptive Conduct
Students
should refrain from participating in disruptive or disrespectful behavior in
the classroom, including mindless talking, arriving late/leaving early,
drinking or eating food, or passing unrelated notes. The instructor reserves
the right to ask a student leave if the student engages in disruptive behavior.
Policy
on Academic Student Conduct Code
Exams
and assignments are to be completed by the student only. Cheating on the exam or receiving unjustified
help with assignments is punishable by expulsion and other disciplinary
measures. For complete details on
Dates Topics
7/6-7/9 Review Syllabus,
Statistics and Variables (Chap. 1)
Frequency
and Percentage Distributions (Chap. 2)
Averages
(Chap. 3)
Measures of
Variation (Chap. 4)
7/12 (Monday) Exam
1
7/13-7/16 Cross-tabulation
(Chap. 5)
The
Chi-Square Test of Statistical Significance (Chap. 6)
Measures
of Association for Cross-tabulations (Chap. 7)
7/19 (Monday) Exam 2
7/20-7/23 Comparison
of Means and t Test (Chap. 8)
Analysis
of Variance (Chap. 9)
Regression and Correlation (Chap.
10)
Multivariate Cross-tabulation (Chap. 11)
Multiple Regression and Correlation
(Chap. 12)
7/23 (Friday) Final Exam
Note: The course syllabus
provides a general plan; it is to be expected that we will deviate somewhat
from this schedule as we spend more time on some topics and less time on
others.