Teaching Responsibility
LJMU Schools involved in Delivery:
Justice Studies
Learning Methods
Lecture
Online
Seminar
Workshop
Module Offerings
8400DPCJ-SEP-MTP
Aims
The module allows students to:
- Identify an important gap in knowledge/practice from a systematic appraisal of the research evidence base in an area of policing or criminal justice
- Produce a rigorous and thorough literature review and develop skills in synthesising and critically evaluating research to a standard that would merit publication
- Show how their research project will create new knowledge at the forefront of their academic discipline or their area of professional practice.
- Be exposed to real-world examples of how research is developed and used to improve practice and policy
- Start to plan their research project, including how to mitigate for any potential challenges.
Learning Outcomes
1.
Recognise and describe issues/problems relevant to an area of policing and/or criminal justice, and situate these within an international context.
2.
Demonstrate understanding and critical evaluation of the capacity of evidence to inform practice and policy (e.g., create solutions for issues/problems) in a diverse array of policing and/or criminal justice.
3.
Acquire and develop information seeking skills including developing search and discovery skills and techniques, and the knowledge of how to conduct advanced searches using a range of information software, resources, and techniques and how to recognise their advantages and limitations.
4.
Display a systematic acquisition, understanding, and critical evaluation of a diverse body of knowledge (including international and non-academic) which is at the forefront of policing studies and/or criminal justice or their area of related professional practice.
5.
Conceptualise a project for the generation of new knowledge, applications or understanding at the forefront of policing/criminal justice.
6.
Demonstrate an understanding of the broader context within which the project will take place, at a national and international level.
7.
Demonstrate awareness of the potential impact of research on society and show engagement with the community and/or relevant stakeholders in the co-design of the research project.
Module Content
Outline Syllabus:
Lectures: These will include a programme of inputs on the following topics which will be supplemented throughout with empirical literature related to the fields of policing and criminal justice.
Seminars: Lectures will be supported by a number of seminars delivered by researchers (those situated in academic, practice, and those in academic-practitioner partnerships) who have conducted projects to achieve research evidence within the policing and criminal justice field. These 'real-life' examples of how to identify knowledge gaps in research and practice, how to build and develop relationships with partner agencies, how ideas for projects development, overviews of the project itself, and how findings from research can turn into recommendations for practice and policy.
Workshops: Lectures will also be supported with workshops dedicated to applying taught material to students’ proposed research projects. Content of these workshops will vary in response to the groups' needs but it is likely that these workshops will involve formative feedback on assessments (e.g., the students' scoping reviews) and individualised discussions on how to define their research question.
Online: Students will be required to engage in online engagement per month. This is to supplement and embed learning within the face-to-face delivery as well as to prepare for their taught sessions and extra training required. Examples of online content will be: videos outlining more examples of good quality scoping reviews and literature reviews, scoping review training, podcasts related to where to find evidence and how to assess the quality of evidence, quizzes related to content delivered in lectures and seminars, and participation in online discussions (e.g., via wikis, journal clubs) with the rest of the cohort on material covered (e.g., key scoping reviews) across the module.
Lectures: These will include a programme of inputs on the following topics which will be supplemented throughout with empirical literature related to the fields of policing and criminal justice.
- The origins and historical development of evidence-based research/practice in policing and criminal justice.
- How to identify an issue/problem to address relevant to practice in policing and criminal justice, including how to include the input of key stakeholders in the identification of these issues/problems.
- Showcase of innovative and effective examples of research-informed practice locally, nationally, and internationally to develop student's appreciation and awareness of contemporary research evidence (and its generation)
- The principles and practice of conducting literature reviews including scoping review to retrieve research evidence.
- Where and how to access research evidence to inform addressing issues/problems
- How to develop a robust search strategy to access research evidence
- How to assess the quality of research evidence
- How to synthesise and critically evaluate current research evidence on a topic related to policing and criminal justice.
- A basic introduction to research methodology and research ethics
- Guidance in writing literature reviews for research proposals.
Seminars: Lectures will be supported by a number of seminars delivered by researchers (those situated in academic, practice, and those in academic-practitioner partnerships) who have conducted projects to achieve research evidence within the policing and criminal justice field. These 'real-life' examples of how to identify knowledge gaps in research and practice, how to build and develop relationships with partner agencies, how ideas for projects development, overviews of the project itself, and how findings from research can turn into recommendations for practice and policy.
Workshops: Lectures will also be supported with workshops dedicated to applying taught material to students’ proposed research projects. Content of these workshops will vary in response to the groups' needs but it is likely that these workshops will involve formative feedback on assessments (e.g., the students' scoping reviews) and individualised discussions on how to define their research question.
Online: Students will be required to engage in online engagement per month. This is to supplement and embed learning within the face-to-face delivery as well as to prepare for their taught sessions and extra training required. Examples of online content will be: videos outlining more examples of good quality scoping reviews and literature reviews, scoping review training, podcasts related to where to find evidence and how to assess the quality of evidence, quizzes related to content delivered in lectures and seminars, and participation in online discussions (e.g., via wikis, journal clubs) with the rest of the cohort on material covered (e.g., key scoping reviews) across the module.
Module Overview:
This module will allow students to outline the key research question(s) of their proposed doctoral research project by understanding how to identify gap in knowledge and/or practice and will give students the ability to systematically and rigorously search the research evidence base to gather and critically evaluate literature on their proposed project. Students will be given the opportunity to gain real-life insight into practitioner-academic research from experts in academia and practice. Student will also be able to start to plan their research project.
This module will allow students to outline the key research question(s) of their proposed doctoral research project by understanding how to identify gap in knowledge and/or practice and will give students the ability to systematically and rigorously search the research evidence base to gather and critically evaluate literature on their proposed project. Students will be given the opportunity to gain real-life insight into practitioner-academic research from experts in academia and practice. Student will also be able to start to plan their research project.