TO: Students in CJ 160 – Sec. 001 – Fall 2005
FROM: R. B. Taylor
DATE: 11/21/05
RE: Paper 2 assignment
TO PREPARE: Come to class. Read JAMA article. Read RMCJ 266-291. Repeat as needed. Read paper policies in syllabus. Late papers LOSE LOTS OF POINTS.
GOAL OF ASSIGNMENT. Read a research article. Summarize key points. Apply research methods tools you have learned in class (identify IV, DVs, research design, most relevant TIVs).
ASSIGNMENT: You are a trusted advisor to and close friend of the Governor of Ohio, Bob Taft. State legislators have introduced a bill which would VOID the Brady Law in Ohio -- i.e., the Brady law would no longer apply. Legal advisors to the legislators introducing this bill are convinced their bill, if it became law, would be upheld in the U.S. Supreme Court. Governor Taft has asked you for a one-page memo describing a study he has heard about, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which is the definitive study on whether Brady works or not. Governor Taft truly has an open mind on this. He is hoping that if he takes a principled stand on this question it will help with some recent corruption controversies surrounding him and his office. You are going to summarize in ONE PAGE (typed, double spaced, 12 pitch font, 1 inch margins all around, using Times Roman type face, with ONLY YOUR TEMPLE ID NUMBER APPEARING on the very first line and your name appearing nowhere) the Ludwig and Cook JAMA study and its limitations and its implications. Governor Taft will pass this on to his staff who are working up the bill. THE MEMO MUST BE ENTIRELY IN YOUR OWN WORDS, with in-line cites and references as needed at the bottom. NOTE: The core of Governor Taft's power base is older residents in rural locations. Therefore he is particularly concerned about this group. For this group, firearm suicides are more of a problem than firearm homicides (See Branas et al., American Journal of Public Health October 2004, Volume 94, No. 10, 1750-1755) THEREFORE THE ONLY OUTCOME YOU WILL BE SUMMARIZING FOR GOV. TAFT IS WHAT HAPPENED WITH FIREARM SUICIDES FOR THOSE 55 AND OLDER.
Your memo will cover the following points:
1) (1 point) What was the policy change which served as the independent variable in the JAMA article?
2) (1 point) Describe specifically the outcome of most interest to the governor.
3) (1 point) what was the comparison group?;
4) (1 point) In brief, what was the data source?;
5) (1 point) Using a classification from RMCJ, what was the type of quasi-experimental design used? - be very specific here - do not just say strong or weak quasi-experiment;
6) (1 point) stated NONTECHNICALLY, what were the results for the outcome you picked?
7) (1.5 points) Refer to at least ONE TIV (threat to internal validity) from RMCJ, and say CLEARLY how this might apply here - try and pick the one most likely to apply given the quasi-experimental design used - use the RMCJ text
8) (1.5 points) Here, you will come to a conclusion, which will include the following:
a) say how “strong,” you think the JAMA study is,
b) what it shows (in non-technical terms), and
c) do you recommend that Governor Taft support the legislators seeking to repeal the Brady Law in Ohio?
This only adds up to 9 but 1 point gets added on for total possible score of 10 if spelling/grammar ok.
You can “lose”one point for flagrantly poor grammar and/or mis-spelling(s) and/or not having the JAMA study or any other reference(s) you use properly cited. Write this as a coherent memo, NOT a list! GOING OVER 1 PAGE OR IN ANY WAY VIOLATING PAPER PARAMETERS (smaller fonts, 1 ½ spacing, etc) loses you at least one point out ten.
DUE VIA TURNITIN: 12 midnight ON 11/30/05. LATE SUBMISSIONS LOSE POINTS
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