Discussion Board: Refining Your Research Topic & Identifying Key Variables

This week, you will take the next step in developing your scientific research topic within the criminal justice system. Building on your previous work, you will refine your topic, develop a working theory and hypothesis, and identify key variables and attributes necessary for data collection.

After completing your readings, respond to the following prompts in a well-organized post that flows logically:

1. State Your Research Topic
   • List the topic you selected last week for your peers to review.
   • Example: The impact of body-worn cameras on police use-of-force incidents.
2. Clarify Your Research Goal
   • What do you hope to learn from your study?
   • Example: I want to examine whether body-worn cameras reduce excessive force complaints and improve public trust in law enforcement.
3. Develop a Working Theory & Hypothesis
   • Working Theory: A general explanation of how your topic functions.
   • Hypothesis: A testable statement predicting a relationship between variables.
   • Example:
     • Working Theory: Body-worn cameras increase police accountability and reduce excessive force incidents.
     • Hypothesis: Police officers equipped with body-worn cameras will have fewer use-of-force complaints compared to those without cameras.
4. Identify Key Variables & Attributes

• • List five variables that are essential for your research and explain why each is important.
  • Example:
    • Variable: Number of use-of-force complaints
    • Why It's Important: This will measure whether body-worn cameras impact complaint frequency.

1. Define Attributes for Each Variable

• • For each variable, list three attributes and explain why they fit.
  • Example:
    • Variable: Public trust in police
    • Attributes: High trust, Moderate trust, Low trust
    • Why These Attributes? These levels allow researchers to categorize public perception and analyze trends.