Research Proposal Review
Question 1
The theory that the research proposal is testing is the “Broken Window theory”. According to this particular theory, the level of behavioural problem is directly related to the social and physical disorder present in the neighbourhood (Welsh, Braga & Bruinsma, 2015). This situation is a result of unwillingness of the residents in implementation of necessary measurements for eradicating the behavioural problem.
Question 2
Even though the author claims the research is based on the primary data collection, the reality is different from that. The researcher will be using the raw data that has been collected by LSAC, CD and Google map Street view. This should be considered as secondary data collection as the research is not getting directly involved in the process of data collection from the actual source of the data. Researcher considered using both qualitative and quantitative data collection method in the research. Moreover, the researcher will be using sampling method for identifying the target sample that will be included in the report. The LSAC has covered a wider area in their data collection out of which only a small portion will be used for better handling of the data. Further, the researcher will be using the observation method for understanding the physical and social condition of the neighbourhood. This method of analysing the raw data collected by Australian government is useful, as it will save the researcher considerable time and money for the collection of data. Further, statistical analysis method is also utilized for answering the research question (Bernard, 2017).
Question 3
Three major data sources will be utilized for the completion of the research. The first data will be collected from a sub-sample of children participating in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. The second source that will be utilized in the study is the 2006 Australian census data on the structural characteristics of child census Collector District neighbourhoods. The final source considered for the completion of the research is the systematic social observations of study child neighbourhood CDs obtained through a new approach involving the use of Google Maps Street View (Rundle et al., 2011). However the raw data available in the above mentioned sources will be utilized for the analysis as there is no as such test have been conducted in the field.
Question 4
The proposed research involves the secondary data collection. As it can be evidenced from the research proposal, the author will be using the data from Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, 2006 Australian census data of Collector District and Google Maps Street View (Abs.gov.au, 2017; aifs.gov.au, 2017). These data can be marked as secondary data as the researcher is not getting directly involved with the community for the extraction of these data. These data are the outcome of someone else’s effort who were directly involved in the data collection process. Hence, it can be concluded that the data collection involved in the research is secondary (Mejia et al, 2011).
Question 5
The research that has been carried out by the researcher is a secondary research. He or she used the sources like Australian census, LSAC and Goggle Map Street View for collecting the necessary data. These data cannot be considered as primary as the data offered by the sources are the outcome of someone else’s effort. Hence, calling these as primary source is an unethical statement made by the researcher. However, the researcher successfully acknowledged each of the sources of data used in the research proposal. Moreover, the report proposal is an original work carried out by the researcher himself or herself. This is the primary ethical concern of any researcher, which the researcher has successfully followed (Markham & Buchanan, 2012).
Question 6
The key variables that are used for the research are identifiable child problem, neighbourhood location, physical and social disorder, neighbourhood disadvantages, neighbourhood racial heterogeneity and neighbourhood residential mobility. These data are extracted by asking the parents to rate their children’s behaviour, their postal address. Moreover, information will be acquired if the children involve themselves in damaging the environment or indulge themselves in an inappropriate social behaviour regularly. Further, in the neighbourhood disadvantages, information will be acquired if it is facing some kind of disadvantage as if economic or it has racial heterogeneity or residential mobility. These variables will give insight if the problem occurring among the children are neighbourhood specific or the related factors have no role to play in the outcome.
Question 7
LSAC have conducted their work with a larger sample covering all possible corner of Australia. However, the sample the researcher is planning to select out of it is limited to 4332 of wave 3 that is comprised with 8 to 9 year old children of Kindergarten Cohort. However, the researcher showed his or her interest of using the latest data of wave 4 if it is published before completion of this project. However, this sample is not finalised and the researcher is planning to study only those collector district data that falls within the boundaries Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. The researcher is also giving thought of using just one CD for the researcher, as it will provide data that are more accurate. On the next thought, the researcher can utilise the random sampling method for selecting the sample of children from the full wave of 3 or 4 kindergarten cohort samples to increase the accuracy of the data (Blumberg, Cooper & Schindler, 2014).
Question 8
The study carried out by the used the Broken Window Theory for explaining the child conduct problems that have been conducted in Australia. This can provide the future researcher an advantage in understanding the matter and continue their research work from the conclusion of this report. It will further assist the primary Child Crime Prevention Programs as it dictates the causes of the situation. They can gain better insight related to the issue and come up with a proper solution for handling the situation. Moreover, the researcher provides opportunity to the Google Maps Street View for analysing its effectiveness and modify it accordingly to its needs.
Question 9
Though the research provides insight and origin of the problem, it limits itself to identifying the sources of the problem. The researcher has well addressed the issues that are causing the children to enter the crime in Australia and increase the number of juvenile crime occurring in the streets. It further identified the impact of neighbourhood on child development and the behaviour of a child. However, the researcher failed in highlighting the necessary steps that are required for dealing with the issues. There is no guidance provided by the researcher for avoiding such issues in future occurrence. The activists and the future researchers deal with similar problem has to come up with a process of dealing the situation with the help received from this report in understanding the issue.
Reference
Abs.gov.au. (2017). 2006 Census data. Retrieved 22 November 2017, from http://abs.gov.au/websitedbs/censushome.nsf/home/historicaldata2006
aifs.gov.au (2017). Longitudinal Study of Australia’s Children (LSAC). Retrieved 22 November 2017, from https://aifs.gov.au/media-centre/longitudinal-study-australias-children
Bernard, H. R. (2017). Research methods in anthropology: Qualitative and quantitative approaches. Rowman & Littlefield.
Blumberg, B. F., Cooper, D. R., & Schindler, P. S. (2014). Business research methods. McGraw-hill education.
Markham, A., & Buchanan, E. (2012). Ethical decision-making and internet research: Recommendations from the aoir ethics working committee (version 2.0).
Mejia, J. F., Choy, S. L., Mengersen, K., & Morawska, L. (2011). Methodology for assessing exposure and impacts of air pollutants in school children: data collection, analysis and health effects–a literature review. Atmospheric Environment, 45(4), 813-823.
Rundle, A. G., Bader, M. D., Richards, C. A., Neckerman, K. M., & Teitler, J. O. (2011). Using Google Street View to audit neighborhood environments. American journal of preventive medicine, 40(1), 94-100.
Welsh, B. C., Braga, A. A., & Bruinsma, G. J. (2015). Reimagining broken windows: From theory to policy. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 52(4), 447-463.
