SAFE605
Research Methods and Statistical Analysis in Public Safety
0.5 Credit

This course offers advanced qualitative and quantitative research methods for public safety research. An examination of topics such as ethics; research design; operationalization and measurement of variables; sampling; surveying; interviewing; content analysis; qualitative analytical software use; and interpreting data is reviewed. This course also focusses on the common tools utilized to analyze quantitative outputs, charts, statistical comparisons, and critical reviews of methodology in policy, program analysis, and data found within the sphere of public safety. In addition, this course examines the advantages and shortcomings of each method and the appropriateness of each process for research in the public safety realm, including careful description, overview, and application of the varied options to place the learner on the path to self- and guided-research within the social-scientific paradigm of real-world threats to public safety, national security, and the potential impact on individual rights and freedoms.