University Research Proposal Review: Child Conduct Problems

This report presents a comprehensive review of a research proposal that investigates child conduct problems in Australia, framed within the Broken Window theory. The study utilizes secondary data sources, including the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC), Australian census data, and Google Maps Street View, to analyze the relationship between neighborhood characteristics and child behavior. The review critically assesses the research methodology, data sources, and ethical considerations, highlighting the use of both qualitative and quantitative methods. It examines key variables such as neighborhood location, social disorder, and residential mobility, and discusses the sampling strategy and potential limitations. The review further evaluates the research's contribution to understanding child crime prevention programs and the effectiveness of Google Maps Street View as a data collection tool, while also noting areas where the proposal could be strengthened, such as the provision of actionable solutions. The research concludes with a discussion of the ethical considerations and the overall impact of the research on the field of child conduct.

Running head: RESEARCH PROPOSAL REVIEW
Research Proposal Review
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

1RESEARCH PROPOSAL REVIEW
Question 1
The theory that the research proposal is testing is the “Broken Window theory”.
According to this particular theory, the level of behavioural problem is directly related to the
social and physical disorder present in the neighbourhood (Welsh, Braga & Bruinsma, 2015).
This situation is a result of unwillingness of the residents in implementation of necessary
measurements for eradicating the behavioural problem.
Question 2
Even though the author claims the research is based on the primary data collection, the
reality is different from that. The researcher will be using the raw data that has been collected by
LSAC, CD and Google map Street view. This should be considered as secondary data collection
as the research is not getting directly involved in the process of data collection from the actual
source of the data. Researcher considered using both qualitative and quantitative data collection
method in the research. Moreover, the researcher will be using sampling method for identifying
the target sample that will be included in the report. The LSAC has covered a wider area in their
data collection out of which only a small portion will be used for better handling of the data.
Further, the researcher will be using the observation method for understanding the physical and
social condition of the neighbourhood. This method of analysing the raw data collected by
Australian government is useful, as it will save the researcher considerable time and money for
the collection of data. Further, statistical analysis method is also utilized for answering the
research question (Bernard, 2017).
Question 3

2RESEARCH PROPOSAL REVIEW
Three major data sources will be utilized for the completion of the research. The first data
will be collected from a sub-sample of children participating in the Longitudinal Study of
Australian Children. The second source that will be utilized in the study is the 2006 Australian
census data on the structural characteristics of child census Collector District neighbourhoods.
The final source considered for the completion of the research is the systematic social
observations of study child neighbourhood CDs obtained through a new approach involving the
use of Google Maps Street View (Rundle et al., 2011). However the raw data available in the
above mentioned sources will be utilized for the analysis as there is no as such test have been
conducted in the field.
Question 4
The proposed research involves the secondary data collection. As it can be evidenced
from the research proposal, the author will be using the data from Longitudinal Study of
Australian Children, 2006 Australian census data of Collector District and Google Maps Street
View (Abs.gov.au, 2017; aifs.gov.au, 2017). These data can be marked as secondary data as the
researcher is not getting directly involved with the community for the extraction of these data.
These data are the outcome of someone else’s effort who were directly involved in the data
collection process. Hence, it can be concluded that the data collection involved in the research is
secondary (Mejia et al, 2011).
Question 5
The research that has been carried out by the researcher is a secondary research. He or
she used the sources like Australian census, LSAC and Goggle Map Street View for collecting
the necessary data. These data cannot be considered as primary as the data offered by the sources

3RESEARCH PROPOSAL REVIEW
are the outcome of someone else’s effort. Hence, calling these as primary source is an unethical
statement made by the researcher. However, the researcher successfully acknowledged each of
the sources of data used in the research proposal. Moreover, the report proposal is an original
work carried out by the researcher himself or herself. This is the primary ethical concern of any
researcher, which the researcher has successfully followed (Markham & Buchanan, 2012).
Question 6
The key variables that are used for the research are identifiable child problem,
neighbourhood location, physical and social disorder, neighbourhood disadvantages,
neighbourhood racial heterogeneity and neighbourhood residential mobility. These data are
extracted by asking the parents to rate their children’s behaviour, their postal address. Moreover,
information will be acquired if the children involve themselves in damaging the environment or
indulge themselves in an inappropriate social behaviour regularly. Further, in the neighbourhood
disadvantages, information will be acquired if it is facing some kind of disadvantage as if
economic or it has racial heterogeneity or residential mobility. These variables will give insight
if the problem occurring among the children are neighbourhood specific or the related factors
have no role to play in the outcome.
Question 7
LSAC have conducted their work with a larger sample covering all possible corner of
Australia. However, the sample the researcher is planning to select out of it is limited to 4332 of
wave 3 that is comprised with 8 to 9 year old children of Kindergarten Cohort. However, the
researcher showed his or her interest of using the latest data of wave 4 if it is published before
completion of this project. However, this sample is not finalised and the researcher is planning to

4RESEARCH PROPOSAL REVIEW
study only those collector district data that falls within the boundaries Brisbane, Sydney and
Melbourne. The researcher is also giving thought of using just one CD for the researcher, as it
will provide data that are more accurate. On the next thought, the researcher can utilise the
random sampling method for selecting the sample of children from the full wave of 3 or 4
kindergarten cohort samples to increase the accuracy of the data (Blumberg, Cooper &
Schindler, 2014).
Question 8
The study carried out by the used the Broken Window Theory for explaining the child
conduct problems that have been conducted in Australia. This can provide the future researcher
an advantage in understanding the matter and continue their research work from the conclusion
of this report. It will further assist the primary Child Crime Prevention Programs as it dictates the
causes of the situation. They can gain better insight related to the issue and come up with a
proper solution for handling the situation. Moreover, the researcher provides opportunity to the
Google Maps Street View for analysing its effectiveness and modify it accordingly to its needs.
Question 9
Though the research provides insight and origin of the problem, it limits itself to
identifying the sources of the problem. The researcher has well addressed the issues that are
causing the children to enter the crime in Australia and increase the number of juvenile crime
occurring in the streets. It further identified the impact of neighbourhood on child development
and the behaviour of a child. However, the researcher failed in highlighting the necessary steps
that are required for dealing with the issues. There is no guidance provided by the researcher for
avoiding such issues in future occurrence. The activists and the future researchers deal with

5RESEARCH PROPOSAL REVIEW
similar problem has to come up with a process of dealing the situation with the help received
from this report in understanding the issue.

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Reference
Abs.gov.au. (2017). 2006 Census data. Retrieved 22 November 2017, from
http://abs.gov.au/websitedbs/censushome.nsf/home/historicaldata2006
aifs.gov.au (2017). Longitudinal Study of Australia’s Children (LSAC). Retrieved 22 November
2017, from https://aifs.gov.au/media-centre/longitudinal-study-australias-children
Bernard, H. R. (2017). Research methods in anthropology: Qualitative and quantitative
approaches. Rowman & Littlefield.
Blumberg, B. F., Cooper, D. R., & Schindler, P. S. (2014). Business research methods. McGraw-
hill education.
Markham, A., & Buchanan, E. (2012). Ethical decision-making and internet research:
Recommendations from the aoir ethics working committee (version 2.0).
Mejia, J. F., Choy, S. L., Mengersen, K., & Morawska, L. (2011). Methodology for assessing
exposure and impacts of air pollutants in school children: data collection, analysis and
health effects–a literature review. Atmospheric Environment, 45(4), 813-823.
Rundle, A. G., Bader, M. D., Richards, C. A., Neckerman, K. M., & Teitler, J. O. (2011). Using
Google Street View to audit neighborhood environments. American journal of preventive
medicine, 40(1), 94-100.
Welsh, B. C., Braga, A. A., & Bruinsma, G. J. (2015). Reimagining broken windows: From
theory to policy. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 52(4), 447-463.