Exam about research class - Essay Example

Research Questions Longitudinal researches are best described as correlation researches and are considered highly appropriate for social themes such as the one under discussion, child delinquency. Indeed longitudinal researches are said to be co-relational because they tend to examine different given social phenomena over long periods of time. It is in this direction that Cherry (2012) explains that “longitudinal research is a type of research method used to discover relationships between variables that are not related to various background variables.

” In relation to child delinquency therefore, a longitudinal research can be created by developing two variables that are not thematically related. Examples of these variables can be given as the socio-economic backgrounds of children and family ethics.Unlike longitudinal research, cross sectional researches do not look at variables over long periods of time but rather conduct observations into a given phenomenon within a set time frame. For instance there could be the study of child delinquency events the causative factors associated with them in modern times rather than looking at the relationship that has existed between the rate of child delinquency and rate of school drop out.

Cross sectional researches are therefore often directed towards finding solutions to an occurring problem whiles longitudinal research would want to establish reasons and facts surrounding a child delinquency over a period of time. If the topic of child delinquency is taken from a cohort research perspective, it would be more of combining the advantages and merits of the first two forms of research study discussed. However, one transformational trait about the cohort research in relation to child delinquency would be that the cohort research would look into specific cases of child delinquency and correlate previous events and happenings to come out with substantive conclusions.

It is in this direction that Shuttleworth (2009) writes that “a cohort study is a research program investigating a particular group with a certain trait, and observes over a period of time.”2. There is a highly technical issue with this scenario. As a matter of fact, the technicality of the issue reduces the decision to be taken by the thesis student to one thing and that complying with research ethics. In the absence of research ethics, the issue could have been described as a typical dilemma but once there is the issue of research ethics, there could be a straight forward option for the researcher.

The straight forward option is that research ethics demands the confidentiality and anonymity of data sampled from respondents. This is especially more binding in the case of an academic research, which the scenario presented falls under (Cudjo, 2009). There would therefore be an outright break of ethical laws if the researcher goes ahead to report the respondents because reporting them cannot be done without placing the data the respondents provided in public domain.But this does not mean that the researcher should look onto wrong doing without acting on it.

This would render the researcher an unpatriotic citizen status. For this reason, the best thing the researcher can do is to educate the respondents through the research study of the risk involved in what they are doing. This way, the researcher could explain to them the consequences that the respondents would face if they are eventually caught by the law. This way, the respondents will have a personal convection to do the right thing by either living the country or going through legal processes to becoming legitimate immigrates.

Most importantly, the researcher should take personal steps in helping the respondents act on their final decision; either to leave voluntarily or to acquire appropriate documents. REFERENCE LISTCherry K. (2012). What Is Longitudinal Research? Accessed April 3, 2012 from http://psychology.about.com/od/lindex/g/longitudinal.htm Cudjo R. A (2009). Ethics of Academic Research Report. Dynamic Press Limited: New YorkShuttleworth M. (2009). Cohort Study. Experiment Resources. Accessed April 4, 2012 from http://www.

experiment-resources.com/cohort-study.html