UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA (UNISA)
Department of Criminal and Procedural Law
SEP3707
Research Methods in Criminal Justice
Assignment 2
Semester 1, 2026
Due: April 2026
Module: SEP3707
Title: Research Methods in Criminal Justice
Assignment: 02
Semester: 1 – 2026
Prepared in accordance with UNISA academic standards and
Tutorial Letter SCHJALL/301/2026 referencing guidelines.
,UNISA | SEP3707 Research Methods in Criminal Justice
Contents
1 Question 1: Define the Term “Methodology” 3
2 Question 2: Research Ethics in Criminal Justice Research 4
3 Question 3: What Is a Research Proposal and Its Key Components? 5
4 Question 4 6
4.1 4.1 What Is a Research Proposal? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
4.2 4.2 Three Basic Questions a Research Proposal Should Answer . . . . . . . . . . 6
5 Question 5: Background Reading in Research 7
5.1 5.1 Potential Consequences of Conducting Research Without Thorough Background
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
5.2 5.2 How Background Reading Contributes to Research Quality and Validity . . . 7
6 Question 6: Case Study – Restorative Justice and Juvenile Recidivism 9
6.1 6.1 Four Academically Suitable Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
6.2 6.2 Quantitative Data Collection Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
6.3 6.3 Qualitative Data Collection Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
6.4 6.4 Sampling Techniques and Their Suitability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
6.5 6.5 Units of Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
6.6 6.6 Statistical Methods for Survey Data Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
6.7 6.7 Process for Analysing Qualitative Data from Personal Interviews . . . . . . . 14
6.8 6.8 Potential Ethical Issues and How to Address Them . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
7 Question 7: Essay – Evaluating Qualitative and Quantitative Research Approaches 17
8 Research Aim, Objectives, and Study Design Questions 20
8.1 Background Reading and Its Importance in Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Page 1 of 31
,UNISA | SEP3707 Research Methods in Criminal Justice
8.2 Research Aim and Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
8.3 Qualitative vs. Quantitative Approach: A Critical Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
8.4 Units of Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
8.5 Sampling Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
8.6 Data Collection Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
8.7 Data Collection Instrument: Semi-Structured Interview Guide . . . . . . . . . . . 26
8.8 Data Analysis Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
8.9 Ethical Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Reference List 30
Page 2 of 31
, UNISA | SEP3707 Research Methods in Criminal Justice
1 Question 1: Define the Term “Methodology”
Methodology refers to the overarching framework or system of principles, rules, and pro-
cedures that guides the design and execution of a research study. It encompasses the philo-
sophical assumptions, theoretical perspectives, and the specific methods chosen to collect and
analyse data (Babbie, 2016). In essence, methodology answers the question: how and why are
certain research methods used?
For example, in criminal justice research, a researcher investigating the effectiveness of restora-
tive justice programmes would adopt a methodology that justifies whether qualitative inter-
views, quantitative surveys, or a combination of both is the most appropriate way to generate
trustworthy knowledge about the subject.
Key Distinction
Methodology vs. Method: Methodology is the theoretical rationale for choosing
particular methods. A method is simply the practical tool used to collect data (e.g., a
questionnaire). Methodology provides the justification; the method is the action.
It is important to distinguish methodology from methods. While methods refer to specific
data-collection techniques such as interviews or surveys, methodology situates those choices
within a broader philosophical framework, such as positivism or interpretivism, that shapes
the entire research process (Creswell & Creswell, 2018).
Page 3 of 31
Department of Criminal and Procedural Law
SEP3707
Research Methods in Criminal Justice
Assignment 2
Semester 1, 2026
Due: April 2026
Module: SEP3707
Title: Research Methods in Criminal Justice
Assignment: 02
Semester: 1 – 2026
Prepared in accordance with UNISA academic standards and
Tutorial Letter SCHJALL/301/2026 referencing guidelines.
,UNISA | SEP3707 Research Methods in Criminal Justice
Contents
1 Question 1: Define the Term “Methodology” 3
2 Question 2: Research Ethics in Criminal Justice Research 4
3 Question 3: What Is a Research Proposal and Its Key Components? 5
4 Question 4 6
4.1 4.1 What Is a Research Proposal? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
4.2 4.2 Three Basic Questions a Research Proposal Should Answer . . . . . . . . . . 6
5 Question 5: Background Reading in Research 7
5.1 5.1 Potential Consequences of Conducting Research Without Thorough Background
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
5.2 5.2 How Background Reading Contributes to Research Quality and Validity . . . 7
6 Question 6: Case Study – Restorative Justice and Juvenile Recidivism 9
6.1 6.1 Four Academically Suitable Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
6.2 6.2 Quantitative Data Collection Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
6.3 6.3 Qualitative Data Collection Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
6.4 6.4 Sampling Techniques and Their Suitability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
6.5 6.5 Units of Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
6.6 6.6 Statistical Methods for Survey Data Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
6.7 6.7 Process for Analysing Qualitative Data from Personal Interviews . . . . . . . 14
6.8 6.8 Potential Ethical Issues and How to Address Them . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
7 Question 7: Essay – Evaluating Qualitative and Quantitative Research Approaches 17
8 Research Aim, Objectives, and Study Design Questions 20
8.1 Background Reading and Its Importance in Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Page 1 of 31
,UNISA | SEP3707 Research Methods in Criminal Justice
8.2 Research Aim and Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
8.3 Qualitative vs. Quantitative Approach: A Critical Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
8.4 Units of Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
8.5 Sampling Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
8.6 Data Collection Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
8.7 Data Collection Instrument: Semi-Structured Interview Guide . . . . . . . . . . . 26
8.8 Data Analysis Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
8.9 Ethical Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Reference List 30
Page 2 of 31
, UNISA | SEP3707 Research Methods in Criminal Justice
1 Question 1: Define the Term “Methodology”
Methodology refers to the overarching framework or system of principles, rules, and pro-
cedures that guides the design and execution of a research study. It encompasses the philo-
sophical assumptions, theoretical perspectives, and the specific methods chosen to collect and
analyse data (Babbie, 2016). In essence, methodology answers the question: how and why are
certain research methods used?
For example, in criminal justice research, a researcher investigating the effectiveness of restora-
tive justice programmes would adopt a methodology that justifies whether qualitative inter-
views, quantitative surveys, or a combination of both is the most appropriate way to generate
trustworthy knowledge about the subject.
Key Distinction
Methodology vs. Method: Methodology is the theoretical rationale for choosing
particular methods. A method is simply the practical tool used to collect data (e.g., a
questionnaire). Methodology provides the justification; the method is the action.
It is important to distinguish methodology from methods. While methods refer to specific
data-collection techniques such as interviews or surveys, methodology situates those choices
within a broader philosophical framework, such as positivism or interpretivism, that shapes
the entire research process (Creswell & Creswell, 2018).
Page 3 of 31
