Learning Objectives

  • Name the three characterist6cs of a good research question.
  • Define a “theory.”
  • Formulate four predictions about the causes of crime that reflect, respectively, rational choice theory, symbolic interaction theory, conflict theory, and functional theory.
  • Explain the meaning of “scientific paradigm” and its role in a scientific revolution.
  • Contrast the process of research reflecting deductive reasoning from that reflecting inductive reasoning.
  • Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of an inductive research  approach/
  • Diagram the research circle and explain the role of replication in relation to that circle.