Creswell (2013) identifies six steps followed in the process of qualitative data analysis. The very first step requires the research to organize and prepare the data for analysis through transcribing interviews, optimally scanning material, and cataloging each visual material among others. The second step according to Creswell (2013) is reading or looking at all the data. The essence of this step is to gain a general sense of the information and to secure the opportunity to reflect on its overall meaning. The third phase in qualitative data analysis is coding the data. In this case, a researcher organizes the collected data by categorizing the images and text and then labeling the categories with a term.

In the fourth step, the coding process is utilized to come up with a description of the people, setting, or categories/themes for analysis. The step is essential as it helps to design detailed descriptions for different forms of research initiatives. The penultimate step mandates the researcher to advance the manner in which themes and descriptions will be represented in the qualitative narrative. For example, a researcher may opt to use a narrative passage to confer the outcomes of the analysis. The last step, but not least, is making an interpretation of the findings or the results. The phase requires a researcher to ask him/herself about the lessons gained.

All these steps are vital in the evaluation and the successful interpretation of the published research findings within the criminal justice sphere. If implemented in the right manner, the steps can be used to determine the validity and reliability of the existing criminal justice theory. The process can be used to reinforce what is currently believed, establish gaps in the published data, introduce a new way or looking things, or even expand the current interpretation. Adherence to Creswell’s (2013) steps allows a researcher to determine the reality related to a specified criminal justice issue about the existing beliefs. Consequently, a clear elucidation might be achieved, thus transforming the discipline.

The six steps are also vital in answering a criminal justice research question. Indeed, the findings drawn from the application of the framework provides a direct answer to any research question. The answer might be an endorsement, disapproval, or clarification. However, if a researcher does not cover all the steps, incomplete answers to a criminal justice problem or question might not be reached. As a matter of fact, not following Creswell’s (20143) steps might produce knowledge that misleads the interest groups in respect to a question of interest.

References
Creswell, J. W. (2013). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. New York, NY: SAGE Publications, Inc.

An important issue is the quality of the data being examined and the integrity of the overall research results. Falsified information can lead to misrepresentation. This is a serious issue in academic research but often it is conducted using legitimate methods. For instance a research can skew results by defining areas to study. They can look at only healthy people when examining the impacts of cigarette smoking. They can also look only at areas that show benefit such as the medical benefits of marijuana while ignoring the negative effects on brain development. Often the more legitimate studies that are not falsified but still mislead are more dangerous. This can lead to public perception that is partial or wholly inaccurate.

How frequently do you think that research is designed to misrepresent? As a reader of this material how would you determine if it was?

Classmate 1

According to Creswell (2014), the six steps are as follows:

Step one: This step is very important and that is to organize and prepare the data that was collected. This is to be sorted depending on the information from the source. Typing notes, transcribing interviews and scanning materials are all also a part of this step (Creswell, 2014).
Step two: Read and look at the data. At this step you begin to look at the data collected and see the tone, general ideas, and credibility (Creswell, 2014).
Step three: Coding. This is about placing segments, pictures and text data in categories and then labeling them with a term (Creswell, 2014).
Step four: the description stage is about generating a description of the setting for the people places or events as well as categories for analysis (Creswell, 2014).
Step five: Represented. This step goes over how to address the findings from the analysis (Creswell, 2014).
Step six: Interpretation. This step is the final step where one asks what was learned from this report (Creswell, 2014).
These steps assist in evaluating criminal justice data because all crimes can be broken down into different subcategories. For example murder would be broken down into manslaughter, homicide and involuntary manslaughter. From there depending on your source would depend on how much further one would go. This is because each of those subcategories can be broken down again. This is because it allows one to break down the published findings by using the analysis steps to find the validity of the report. It also helps by having everything organized and broken up into all the correct categories needed. This would be done by evaluating the question by breaking it up and following the six steps and analyzing each part to ensure the validity of the report. Once that is all done one should be able to find out what the lesson the researcher wanted us to learn from their data report (Creswell, 2014).

Classmate 2
The methods within the qualitative methods do in fact require attention to the topics which are similar to the quantitative research. The reader needs to be involved within the design of the research within the basic intent. The research will also involve the design of the research along with the data of the research. The research will also have the recording of the qualitative data. There are analysis steps within the qualitative research. The method for introducing the steps is to present the data, interpreting the data; the researcher also needs to validate the research. Finally, the researcher needs to indicate the outcome of the research. The qualitative research is commented on by the researcher’s role and the specific type of qualitative research. The writing aspect of the qualitative research may vary will also include the nature of the final project (Creswell, 2014).
The researcher role is to interpretative the research. Which will require sustain and intense experience from participants? The role of the researcher will introduce the range of strategic, ethical, and personal issues within qualitative research. Within the qualitative research, there will be an entry gain to the research site with the ethical issues of the qualitative research, which will be the elements of the researcher’s role (Creswell, 2014).
The data collection will comment on the role of the researcher’s role. This stage will set for any discussion within the issues of qualitative research. The steps within the data process will also include setting boundaries within qualitative research. This is to purposefully select participants within the qualitative research. This step will help the researcher to be able to develop proper qualitative research. This will also help the researcher to understand the data that they will find within the qualitative research. The data of the research will have observation and interviews within this research (Creswell, 2014).
The procedures of the recording of the data is to record the procedures of the research. The protocol is the observation of the data of qualitative research. This data may be a signal page divided down the page. This data may be a reconstruction of the dialogue of the physical setting. This data may also cover the time, place and field setting, where the data took place (Creswell, 2014).
Data analysis and interpretation is a method that will discuss the qualitative proposal needs. This will also indicate the steps within the analysis within the various forms of qualitative research. This is to make sense out of the data within the research, which will involve segments and taking apart the data within the research. Then the researcher will have to put all the research back together. The start of the data may begin with several general points within the process (Creswell, 2014).
The validity and reliability of the research is finding the steps within the research. This will enable the researcher to focus on qualitative research. The researcher will then check the validity of the research (Creswell, 2014).

Classmate 3

Step 1) Organize and prepare the data for analysis. The most relevant aspect of this step is arranging the data into specific categories. This also provides a general sense of the information.
Step 2) Read or look at all data. The most relevant aspect of this step is sorting out what may not be needed for the research study. Moreover, this step permits the researcher(s) to reflect on the data’s overall meaning.
Step 3) Began coding the data. The most relevant aspect of this step is organizing the data into brackets and chunks representing categories in margins. This step provides the opportunity to code data.
Step 4) This is the coding process used to generate descriptions for the settings and/or people, categories and themes to be analyzed. The description is the detailed information about the people places or occurrences involved in the study.
Step 5) Development of how the descriptions and themes represent the qualitative narrative of the study. This step will provide the findings of the analysis.
Step 6) The final step is to provide the interpretation of qualitative research conclusions and results. Here researcher(s) will provide the research findings as well as the information gleaned from all of the research from reviews, personal experiences, history, and/or literature (Creswell, 2014).
These steps assist when evaluating criminal justice data by organizing and categorizing data by crime type (Creswell, 2014). For example, robbery comes in many differing forms. Robbery can be labeled as theft, petty theft, robbery of a domicile, aggravated robbery, or burglary of personal property and/or business When we look at the word robbery, the essence of robbery is theft or stealing if you will. It is what is involved in the nature of the crime that is going to classify it as a robbery. When using the steps of evaluation and defining the elements involved in the action, that is how each offense is classified by the courts. The other step is also adding punitive or retributive justice components based on the elements of the crime and its classification (Creswell, 2014).
These steps contribute to successfully interpreting published research findings because the process adds a conceptual value through the classification and evaluation process (Creswell, 2014). This process adds a concrete and valid framework of reliability that adds empiricism that allows courts and justice systems as a whole to apply data that the public justice officials and education systems can use to better assess damages, punishments, and an informative resource for everyone to use as a focal point and guideline to crime and the criminal justice process (Creswell, 2014).
Creswell’s (2014) research design offers guidelines and disciplines to each form of research be it qualitative, quantitative or mix methods. The justice system applies more of a quantitative view as listed in the disciplines delivered by Creswell. The empirical data analysis and data by classification by evaluation offers a researcher(s) and opportunity to take concrete evidence and enunciate a proven practice to apply to a problem(s) witnessed that needs a response. The response to a problem can take evaluated processes that have be implemented and assign that process to the problem while adding a broader spectrum or lens. A more progressive response through research. This research can then become a tool and guiding platform that future researchers or existing researches can build upon (Creswell, 2014).

Creswell (2013) identifies six steps followed in the process of qua...