A Study Comparison

A comparison of the Los Angeles Police Department's West Point Leadership Program Participant survey and the Examination of Racial Profiling Data in Large Metropolitan Area study.

1,050 words () | 3 sources | APA | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

The paper compares the Los Angeles Police Department's West Point Leadership Program Participant survey to the Examination of Racial Profiling Data in Large Metropolitan Area study. The paper examines the type of study units used, the type of data gathered and whether the study was experimental, quasi-experimental or non-experimental. The paper compares the internal and external validity of the studies and examines if the studies met the requirements for randomness and applicability to the general population.

Outline:
Abstract
Units of Analysis
Cross-Sectional versus Longitudinal Design
Experimental, Quasi-Experimental or Non-experimental Design
Internal Validity
External Validity
Randomness
Generalizable to a Larger Population

From the Paper:

"The researchers in the WPLP Survey used individual surveys to gather data on the perceived success of leadership training for command officers in the various police departments as offered by the Los Angeles Police Department. The gathering of individual surveys, collecting and analyzing data from individuals is an example of researchers using individual units of analysis (Jenks, Carter Jenks& Correia, 2006 p.56). The Profile Data research involved gathering data from traffic stops conducted in several large metropolitan areas to find evidence of racial profiling. There were approximately 540,000 individual traffic stop incidents (Joiner, 2006, p.73). Although data was gathered on the individuals involved in the traffic stops, this data was part of a large review of the traffic stop incident records of the different police departments of the large metropolitan areas, thus the units of analysis was group units."

Sample of Sources Used:

Jenks, David A., Carter, J. Scott, Jenks, Catherine A., Correia, Mark. (2006). The Los Angeles Police Department's West Point Leadership Program: Participant Survey. Professional Issues in Criminal Justice: A Professional Journal, Volume 1(Number 2) pages 55-70
Joiner, Courtney T. (2006). An Examination of Racial Profiling Data in a Large Metropolitan Area. Professional Issues in Criminal Justice: A Professional Journal, Volume 1(Number 2)pages 71-85
Schutt, Robert. (2006). Investigating the Social World, Chapter 4 Conceptualization and Measurement, pages 171-199. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.