Applied Social Research

Applied Social Research Order Description Step 1: Students must find a published research report in their area of study (POLICING) that has used qualitative research methods (this can be part of a mixed method design). Step 2: Students are required to write a 1,200 word critical review of the published research report that:? • Identifies who has done the research (organisation, institution, individual, group of individuals etc) and why the research was undertaken (e.g. to inform policy, to evaluate a program) • Identifies the research question and aims and provides a brief summary of the qualitative method. • Evaluates whether the research was successful (in terms of answering the research question and achieving the aims) and is legitimate/valid. Students need to discuss these issues with reference to what data were collected, how they were collected and how they were analysed and presented. Discussion of funding bodies, researcher’s qualifications/associations and publisher will also be needed to evaluate the validity of the project. Students are to think about limitations of the research e.g. research bias, sample size and exclusions and use academic sources to support their answer. Well-supported responses will use at least 5 relevant and well-chosen academic sources. The critical review is NOT an essay so an introduction and conclusion are NOT needed. Students may use headings to organise their response. A reference list is required. In¬text references and the reference list are not included in the word count.