Whether Capital Punishment Deters Crime - Research Proposal Example

Writing a Research Scoping Essay Proposed title of the research project: An investigation on whether capital punishment deters crime. Aims and objectives The key question of the research project is: does capital punishment deter crime? The aim and objective of this research is to assist the researcher in obtaining credible information regarding this research question which as a result will help him in making conclusions on whether or not capital punishment deters crime. Background Criminology is the scientific study of the nature, causes, extent, and control of criminal behaviour both in the individuals and the society as a whole (Mathieu, 2006). One area of criminology is deterrence of crime. In this are, one controversial issue is effectiveness of capital punishment in deterring crime (Reiner, 2007). Some of these researchers argue that, capital punishments usually deter criminal behaviour whereas the opponents argue that, this is just like any other form of punishment and it does not have a deterrence capacity. Capital punishment is defined as a death punishment for persons who commit serious crimes (Mathieu, 2006). Research has indicated that, practicing capital punishment will not offer more security to our lives. Opponents argue that there is no credible proof that capital punishment discourages crimes more effectively compared to other punishments such as long-term imprisonment. Where capital punishment exists, such as the United States, China and Iran, there is no record of decreased crime rates compared to other states which lack such laws. Furthermore, countries which have put an end to capital punishments have not indicated any significant modifications in crimes (The American Civil Liberties Union, 2007). To deter crime, they argue, the punishment should be administered speedily in order to make certain that the prospective criminals see clearly the cause-and-effect linkage between the punishment and the crime. A research by civil liberties revealed that capital punishment has no deterrent impact. This research indicated that most criminals commit crimes due to passion, if they are mentally sick or if they are under drug influence without considering the consequences of their behaviours (The American Civil Liberties Union, 2007). The proponents of capital punishment on the other hand argue that capital punishment has a deterrent capacity. Current studies have revealed that capital punishment actually saves lives. Several studies over the years have revealed a relationship between decrease in crime rates and capital punishments. A panel data which was set forth on over three thousand counties between 1977 and 1996 revealed that, on average, each capital punishment results to eighteen fewer murder crimes (Muhlhausen, 2007). In America, capital punishment is supported on the grounds that it offers a deterrent effect that assists saving lives. Proponents also base their arguments on the basis that most people fear death more than anything else. As a result, they believe that the fear of death is the major factor which will deter person from committing criminal behaviours. This may be influenced by the fact that death is final but where there is life there is hope (Haag, 1983). Other punishments such as life sentences are deemed to be less deterrent compared to capital punishment. Therefore, criminals must be executed as far as this execution assists in protecting citizens from the impacts of these crimes. Specifics of the study This research study will gather data on personal opinions on the effectiveness of capital punishment in deterring criminal behaviour. The research will assume that the potential for criminal behaviour is evenly distributed in the society. The sample will be selected from the general population, correctional officers and incarcerated prisoners from the local county correctional facility. Attempts will be made to access respondents who have close relatives and friends who have undergone capital punishment. The sample from the correctional facility will also attempt to interview respondents on capital punishment. Such an inclusive sample will strengthen the validity of the result findings and offer a wider response. The sample will be chosen randomly, both from the general population and the incarcerated prisoners. The participants will be expected to offer credible information that will be used for data analysis. However, the research quality, reliability and validity will be affected greatly if the chosen participants, especially from the correctional facilities are not willing to offer information or if they provide incredible information. Furthermore, the opinion and responses of the already incarcerated individuals might be biased resulting into biased results. Significance and innovation Through the use of both secondary and primary data, the researcher will further contribute to the existing literature on capital punishment. The primary data collected will be analysed and used to make conclusions and inferences. Such conclusions and inferences will be compared with past research and existing literature on the subject. The findings will be of great significant to various individuals and institutions. For instance, the findings may be relevant to persons involved in crimes and to the legal systems. Usually, most criminals modify their behaviours as a result of capital punishment; however, there are some who criminal behaviours are not deterred by capital punishment (The American Civil Liberties Union, 2007). Addressing ethics and objectivity Given the political sensitivity of the matter, respondents identity should be withheld (Firebaugh, 2008). As a result, this puts forth various ethical questions concerning the linkage between the subject/participants, the researcher, and privacy concerns among others. In this research, the intended part of the sample is incarcerated offenders. Permission must be sought from the correctional facilities and other legal entities in order to involve the chosen respondents in the study. The correctional facilities will organise and authorise the intended interviews with the incarcerated offenders. Other ethical issue in social research may include breach of confidentiality, misleading the participants regarding the aim of the research, invasion of privacy, psychological difficulties which may affect the participants, and collective risks (Firebaugh, 2008). All of these ethical issues are pertinent in our research topic. The question as to whether or not capital punishment deters crime is a real issue which takes place in everyday life. It may be true that some of the chosen participants may be victims of crime or are criminals themselves. As a result, the researcher should take precaution and take initiative of explaining to the participants as clearly as possible the purpose of the research and assure of their privacy. Design and Methodology This research will employ both primary and secondary methods of data collection. Secondary data collection sources will include the use of press releases, newspaper articles, policy statements, peer reviewed journals, academic sources and other publications concerning the relationship between capital punishments and criminal behaviours. The use of secondary data collection methods is deemed efficient as compared to primary data collection methods, the former offers credible information (Grix, 2004). This is due to the fact that, the researcher can compare various publications combining similar thoughts which will assist him in making a conclusion. The secondary data will be important in making research hypotheses and guides the research on formulation of research questions. Primary data collection methods will involve the use of questionnaires and interviews. The questionnaires will contain a number of predetermined questions. Interviews will be accomplished by visiting one local county correctional facility department dealing with criminal offenders. Both the authorities and the incarcerated offenders will be interviewed to obtain their views on the research topic. Five correctional officers and five incarcerated officers will be randomly chosen. The size of these respondents is limited by the data collection method given that interviews take time to organise and given that offenders are involved, security might be a concern. The correctional officers could provide credible information as they have the statistics of the crimes committed in a certain period. Incarcerated offenders have faced the law and offer a different viewpoint on the subject. Questionnaires on the other hand will be issued to persons chosen randomly from the larger population being studied. The respondents will be chosen randomly from members of the county using a local directory. The targeted sample size for this particular group is 150 respondents (75 males, 75 females). Explaining purpose of research and consent for participation will first be obtained through phone calls where after approval, questionnaires will be sent out to the respondents. Both the interviews and the questionnaires will use structured closed questions. Interviews will be recorded on tape for reference purposes. It is expected that not all questionnaires will be well filled out or returned. Only returned and fully and well filled out questionnaires will be used. This will be helpful in analysing the data and creating consistency in the data collected. Results will be tallied and presented in bar charts and percentages. Philosophical and epistemological underpinnings In this case, the philosophical and epistemology underpinnings will form the basis of the research question. In order to carry out a precise and clear research, it is important for the researchers to understand clearly the philosophical underpinnings which inform their selection of research question, aims, methods and methodology (Grix, 2004). Epistemological underpinnings guide us on tackling the research question. This study takes the positive side of the research question, which is: capital punishments will assist in deterring crimes. It is apparent that the consideration of epistemology will assist in obtaining reliable and valid information which will offer credible findings after data analysis (Grix, 2004). References Crotty, M. 1998. The foundations of social research. London, Sage Publications. David B. Muhlhausen, June 27, 2007, testimony delivered before the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Property Rights of the US Senate Judiciary Committee. Ernest Van Den Haag, Oct. 17, 1983 New York Times Op-Ed article: "For the Death Penalty. Firebaugh, G, 2008, Seven Rules for Social Research, Princeton University Press. Grix, J. 2004. The foundations of research. London, Palgrave Macmillan. Mathieu, D, 2006, Sociological Theory and Criminological Research: Views from Europe and the United States. London, Elsevier. Reiner, R, 2007, Law and Order, Cambridge, Polity. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Apr. 9, 2007, "The Death Penalty: Questions and Answers. Read More