Research Paper-CSI Effect

My Research paper was on the C.S.I. Effect myth that originatad from television series such as BONES, CSI, ect, and its effect on the jury. At first i thought that it was real because i would think that people who watch these shows would believe that there is a large amount of technological advances in a crime lab and that there is evidence everywhere which leads for the jury to ask for more forensic evidence . However, i discovered that this is not completely true. I found that the jury will still convict a person of a "big" crime, such as rape or murder, even if there is no forensic evidence. They will, nevertheless, more likely ask for more forensic evidence in smaller crimes such as assault and burglaries.

There was some information on my topic, it had 9 journal articles available and one single book. However, i did research the history of the jury and forensic evidence. Overall, my paper was easy to write because there wasn't too much information or too little. The best advice i can give is: do your research early and narrow your topic as much as possible so that research can be easily done.

Crim 301 Researched Paper

My research topic was on the laws that affect different types of sex offenders. One source that I found useful was an article from an online website titled " Does Sex Offender Registration Deter Crime"? I think in some cases it does, and it is effective, but studies have shown it hardly isn't. Cases have shown most sex offenders re-offend after they are released into the community.
Advice I can give to the upcoming new students in Crim 301 DO NOT PROCRASTINATE! Gather all your sources, online articles, books, and try to outline your paper. Professor Hicks is really nice, and do not be afraid to ask for help. One of my problems was trying to come up with a topic that I would enjoy writing 12 pages on. Find a topic that interest you, and that has tons of information. Note: the beginning 5 weeks will be extremely hard, but all the assignments will help you to get you ready for the researched paper.

- Vanessa Alvarez

Crim 301 Researched Paper

My research topic was on the segregation of inmates that have tested positive for HIV/AIDS. A source that I found very useful was an article entitled "Communtiy-based organizations and HIV Prevention for Incarcerated Populations: Three HIV Prevention Program Models and AIDS Education and Prevention in Correctional Settings" by Tanya Ehrmann. The process in writing my research paper was long and at times frustrating because there are so many elements involved during the process of researching and finding valuable sources that will contribute to your paper. My advice to future students who will be taking Crim 301 would be, make sure that you complete every assignment leading up to the final researched paper because those assignments will only benefit you when you begin to finally write your actual researched paper. Also, it is never to early to begin thinking about possibly topics that you are interested in and that can also be used as a topic for your researched paper. Be sure to start your paper early and do it piece by piece so you don't find yourself overwhemed by leaving everything to the last minute. My final piece of advice to future students would be do not procrastinate your researched paper it is worth the majority of your grade and believe me with all the writing that is involved in Crim 301 you do not what to have to take this class over again. Good Luck!!! -Tara Igler

Crim 301 Researched paper

Crim 301 is a class where your going to be writing A LOT! There is no escaping that! Just know that writing as much as you do helps you become a much better writer, and it also makes you understand yourself as a writer. Understanding yourself as a writer is very important because that what will lead you into the right direction to be a better writer, so take it seriously! As for the research paper you will be doing, you have to start early! Pick your topic and begin researching right away. Don't get stuck on a topic until you know you have a sufficient amount of sources to support your ideas. Once you have done that make sure your doing the little assignments along the way that the professor assigns you. Those are only going to help you in the end! This paper is not an easy paper to just write. I know as college students we tend to wait last minute, but this is not a paper to do that with! Get help if you need it! Ask questions! Being proactive will really help you during this process! Work hard and I am sure you will do just fine!
My topic was on the death penalty and deterrence. If you decide to do this topic or something around the death penalty, be aware that there is not much support for the opposing side which makes it hard sometimes. Death penalty does not deter major crimes and there is a lot off research and support proving that;however, there is not much at all arguing that it does deter crime, so that makes it very difficult.

CRIM 301 Research Paper

Like others have said, this class requires a lot of writing and majority of your grade depends on the research paper. Choose a topic that is interesting to you and find as much information about it as possible. Take into account that your research question can not be too broad or narrow, rather just narrow enough where you can still find enough information on your topic. It is very important to plan ahead and start on your research paper early. Do not work on your paper last minute or you will risk taking this class again. It is a good idea to take this paper one step at a time. Breaking your paper apart and writing it in sections makes it an easier task to achieve. Also, have a teacher or a writing center tutor to peer review your paper. They will give you the needed feedback and locate any errors that your paper might have. My research topic was about marijuana legalization in California and its effect on the crime rate in urban areas. During my research I found it helpful to use as many sources as you can. That means using books, peer-review journals, internet sources, and if possible interviewing people who can contribute to your paper. Overall, the research paper is not as bad as it seems as long as you start early and write a section at a time. I am not a good writer, however after taking this class I know my writing skills have improved. Practice makes perfect. Good luck and plan ahead!

Peter La

Crim 301 Researched Paper!

Crim 301 is class that involves A LOT of writing! It is not as easy as it sounds. When it comes to writing your researched paper, it takes a lot of time and dedication, especially if you want to succeed in this class and get a good grade. I advise students who take this class to begin writing the paper early and try to get as much information as possible. I also advise to not just rely on the internet but use other outside sources such as books, newspapers, movies, and interviewing people in the field. When I wrote my paper I tried to research as much as possible. My research question was "What programs does the Juvenile Justice system have that prevent juveniles from entering the adult prison system ?" When it comes to choosing a research question make sure the question isn't to broad and you choose a topic where you will be able to find information and not be limited on sources. Also while I was researching I actually found all of my sources to be useful I just couldn't pick one because they all contributed in my paper. To write my paper, I found it useful when I wrote my paper in pieces instead of doing it all at once. If you try to do it all at once it becomes overwhelming and you feel like it is never-ending. The paper does have to be very detailed and it should also have some of your input and your own thoughts and ideas. It should also be supported by a lot of evidence. This class is a lot of work but writing is part of the Criminal Justice major and it will benefit students in the future especially when they begin to look into the type of career they want to do.

-Mayra Meza

Researched Paper

I found that thinking about your topic and starting early with the research process was helpful. I found that by breaking the paper into sections and working on it overtime and not all at once was also helpful and made the paper a lot easier. I think that the real struggle for me was the page length requirements. Once your done with your paper it is a good idea to have the teacher look over it so that you can have feedback and fix your problems before you submit your final paper. I think that an interesting topic because your paper would be easier to write. I decided to write my research on the coroner system and medical examiner system. I did research on the difference between each system and discussed why the medical examiner system should be the only system used in death investigations. While I was looking for sources I found that books were extremely useful and one useful source was books that related to medical examiners and forensic pathology. One book I used was Death Investigations and I got it from the campus library. Some authors that were helpful were Randy Hanzlick, Marcella Fierro, Scott Wagner, etc. Overall I enjoyed writing the paper and found it very informative. I got to know my strengths and weaknesses as a writer and ways to improve my writing.

Monique Acosta