CRJ 560 Criminological Theory Research Paper Assignment In order to allow you to demonstrate your grasp of theory and the applicability of theory to policy and future research, each of you will draft a 7-9 page research paper. The other purpose is for you to have the opportunity to engage with a theoretical perspective of interest to you in more detail. Finally, this project serves to advance your research, analytical, and writing skills. There are five components to the assignment. Discuss the points below in the order listed, and separate the sections using headings. You must pick a theory for which there is significant research testing it, or you will not be able to complete the assignment. Quotes are restricted in your paper to one short quote per page, i.e. four lines. Any quote included must only be something that is suitable to quoting. When explaining concepts, you must paraphrase, as I need to ensure that you understand the material. Be mindful of your audience. It is not me. Your audience might be policy makers or supervisors in a criminal justice agency or advocates who work with offenders to help them in their rehabilitation. 1. Introduction: Identify the theory and the theorist(s). Next, discuss the origins of the theory you chose (e.g., historical events, earlier theories that influenced its development, background of the theorist(s) that influenced its development). The information in this section means that you must pick a single theory (not a theoretical school) and that includes identifying the theorist(s). You cannot say that you focused on control theory when there is more than one control theory. Whose control theory is your focus, and what is the name of that theory? 2. Theoretical Provisions: Discuss the causal arguments of the theory you chose (i.e. what are the provisions used to explain crime?). 3. Theoretical Testing: Describe and analyze the empirical/scholarly/peer-reviewed studies that researchers used to test the causal arguments of your theory, and discuss your responses to the following questions. The bulk of your sources should be tests of your chosen theory, such that they allow you to address this section. All of those sources must be addressed in this section in a literature review format rather than a discussion of each source individually. a. What types of offenses did researchers testing your chosen theory examine? b. What conclusions did the authors draw about the ability of your chosen theory to explain, in whole or in part, the types of offenses examined? Specifically, did they find the theory offered a viable explanation for the commission of these offenses, or did they find the theory was ineffective in explaining the commission of these offenses? c. What was the basis of the conclusions that the researchers drew? d. What limitations did the researchers note about their studies, and what did you find to be limitations? e. Based on your assessment of the studies testing your chosen theor.