A bachelor’s degree with a major in social- or behaviour sciences or medicine and English 6.

The aim of the course is for the student to develop and apply knowledge of data collection and analysis methods used in criminology. The main focus will be on quantitative methods and statistical analysis that may be used for studying interaction effects of individual and environmental factors for criminality and ill-health.

Different quantitative and qualitative research designs and data collection methods that are used to study individual- and environmental factors are presented. Introduction to basic statistics and simple and multiple regression analysis is also included in the course content.

Upon completion of the course, the student should be able to

1. plan a study of relevance for the contents of the course,

2. assess different research designs and data collection methods, qualitative and quantitative, that are used to study individual and environmental factors, both in isolation and in interaction,

3. conduct statistical analysis and interpret the results

The teaching takes the form of lectures, seminars, group assignments, discussions (learning outcomes 1, 2 and 3) and independent studies (learning outcomes 1, 2 and 3). Seminars that include oral peer review of a fellow student paper and an oral presentation of a group assignment (learning outcomes 1 and 2) are compulsory.

The assessment of the students’ performance will be made on the basis of an oral presentation of a group assignment, and on two individual papers as well as the obligatory oral peer-review of a fellow student paper. The following elements will constitute the basis for the examination in the course: one individual paper addressing learning outcome 1 and 2, and one additional individual paper addressing learning outcome 3, oral peer review of a fellow student’s paper – addressing learning outcome 1 and 2, oral presentation of a group assignment – addressing learning outcome 1-3.

Focus of the assessment of the first individual paper and the peer review is the student’s ability to identify a criminological research question and a suitable research design (learning outcome 1 and 2). Focus of the assessment of the second individual paper is the student’s ability to conduct and interpret statistical analysis (learning outcome 3). Focus of the assessment of the group assignment is the student´s ability to assess different designs and data collection methods that are used to study individual and environmental factors (learning outcome 2). Individual performance is assessed by students completing a log book that describes each student’s individual contributions. Any absence in compulsory parts shall, at the discretion of the examiner, be compensated by an individual written assignment.

To receive a Passing Grade (C, D or E) it is required that the student have passed on all the examining and compulsory assignments. Achievement of the Grade of Distinction (A or B) requires that the student have completed the group assignment and the oral peer review of a fellow student´s paper with a passing grade (E), and originality and deeper understanding of data collection and analysis methods used in criminology characterize the individual papers and has been assessed with grade A or B.

Students who fail the exam are given the opportunity to do two re-takes with the same course content and with the same requirements. The student also has the right to take the examination in the same course in the subsequent course according to the same rule. Examination and re-takes are carried out at the times specified in the course schedule.

Field A, (2013) Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics. (4th edition). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications. 952 p.

Janson C-G, (2000) The longitudinal study. In: Janson C-G, (Ed), Seven Swedish longitudinal studies in behavioral sciences. Stockholm: Forskningsrådsnämnden, s 29-43. 15 sidor.

King R, Wincup E, (2007) Doing research on crime and justice (2d edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press. 500 sidor.

Nagin D, Farrington D, Moffitt T, (1995) Life-course trajectories of different types of offenders. Criminology, 33: 111–139. 27 sidor.

Raudenbush S, Johnson C, Sampson R J, (2003) A Multivariate, Multilevel Rasch Model with Application to Self-Reported Criminal Behavior. Sociological Methodology, 33: 169-211. 40 sidor.

Raudenbush S W, Sampson R J, (1999) Ecometrics: toward a science of assessing ecological settings, with application to the systematic social observation of neighborhoods. Sociological methodology, 29:1-41. 40 sidor.

Sampson R J, (2008) Moving to Inequality: Neighborhood Effects and Experiments Meet Social Structure. American Journal of Sociology, 114(1):189–231. 40 sidor.

Singer J D, Willet J B, (2003) Applied Longitudinal Data Analysis. Modeling change and event occurrence. New York: Oxford University Press, s 3-15. 13 sidor.

Wikström P-O H, Ceccato V, Hardie B, Treiber K, (2010) Activity Fields and the Dynamics of Crime. Advancing knowledge about the role of the environment in crime causation. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 26(1):55-87. 30 sidor.

Additional articles from scientific journals will also be included, approx. 100 p.

Malmö University provides students who participate in, or who have completed a course, with the opportunity to express their opinions and describe their experiences of the course by completing a course evaluation administered by the University. The University will compile and summarise the results of course evaluations. The University will also inform participants of the results and any decisions relating to measures taken in response to the course evaluations. The results will be made available to the students (HF 1:14).

If a course is no longer offered, or has undergone significant changes, the students must be offered two opportunities for re-examination based on the syllabus that ap-plied at the time of registration, for a period of one year after the changes have been implemented.

If a student has a Learning support decision, the examiner has the right to provide the student with an adapted test, or to allow the student to take the exam in a different format.

The syllabus is a translation of a Swedish source text.