Descriptiveand Explanatory Research
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Descriptiveand Explanatory Research
Descriptiveand explanatory researches are commonly used in conducting studiesthat require deep analysis. Specifically, these types of research arecommonly used in criminology research. According to Dantzker& Hunter (2006),criminology research is quite important because it expounds on theskills applied in solving crimes. It also focuses on the decisions ofthe criminal justice system in regards to the crimes committed bycertain individuals within the society. Firstly, the main use ofdescriptive research is to statistically describe characteristics ofa given population or subject on study (Dantzker& Hunter, 2006). Althoughdescriptive research does not answer questions such as when and howit addresses the `what` question. For example, this research candescribe the characteristic of crime rate at West Palm Beach.Secondly, explanatory research deals with explaining the phenomenonstudied or giving reasons for certain occurrences in the society. Theuse of both descriptive and explanatory research to research aboutcrime rates in West Palm Beach has helped in gathering adequateinformation about criminal activities, their causes, and possiblesolutions.
CrimeData at Keiser University
Formany years now, there has been a high level of crime rate in WestPalm Beach, Florida. As a result, researchers have conducted studiesin a bid to find solutions to the problem. In regards to thedescriptive research, it is evident that the crimes that occurred inWest Palm Beach annually are 934 violent crimes and 5,155 propertycrimes, making a total of 6089 (Neighborhood Scout, 2015).Additionally, another descriptive research is that Palm Beach, whichis near Keiser University, 57.02 crimes occur with every 1000residents. Moreover, for the violent crimes at West Palm Beach, theregion recorded 22 murder crimes, 50 cases of rape, and 278 crimes ofrobbery, amounting to a total of 584 violent crimes in a populationof 106779 residents. On the other hand, researchers have alsoconducted explanatory research in West Palm Beach. According to thisresearch, West Palm Beach is safer than 4% of the cities in theUnited States (Neighborhood Scout, 2015). In addition, there has beena 5% increase in the number of crimes per year in the region.
Inmost cases, most of the crimes at Keiser University are reported tothe local authorities. Moreover, students and others faculties reportthese crimes to the federal government UCR, since it is a residentialuniversity. Based on these reports, it is evident that 75% of casesreported at the university are those of violence, rape, and robbery.Moreover, a large number of about 40% of criminals at West Palm Beachare from Keiser University (Neighborhood Scout, 2015). This showsthat the university`s management has a responsibility to curb thesecrimes.
Conclusion
Conclusively,the use of both descriptive and explanatory research has helped inobtaining adequate and detailed information about the crime rate inWest Palm Beach. Based on this it is evident that the governmentshould work towards minimizing these crimes by implementing effectivemeasures.
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References
Dantzker,M. L., & Hunter, R. D. (2006). Researchmethods for criminology and criminal justice: A primer.New York, NY: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
NeighborhoodScout. (2015). Crime rates for West Palm Beach, FL.Retrieved fromhttps://www.neighborhoodscout.com/fl/west-palm-beach/crime/