CRI10002: Fundamentals of Criminology Assignment

Research Essay Plan and Annotated Bibliography

Assignment Overview

Assignment 2 serves as preparation for Assignment 3: Research Essay. It focuses on developing the skills to critically review positions and sources, helping students structure their final essay effectively.

Key components:

1. Essay Plan (600 words):

   • Thesis statement (max 100 words) outlining the chosen offence and essay argument.

   • Overview of one theory from the first half of the unit (Classicism, Biological Positivism, The Chicago School, Anomie and Strain).

   • Five topic sentences forming the foundation of the essay structure. Each sentence introduces a main point supporting the argument.

2. Annotated Bibliography (500 words):

   • Critical summary of three scholarly sources: one book/chapter and two peer-reviewed journal articles.

   • Each annotation includes a full APA 7 reference, description, contribution to the essay topic, and relevance to criminology/sociology.

Purpose:

• To map the structure of your research essay.

• To receive feedback on your essay plan prior to completing Assignment 3.

• To refine your understanding of crime causation theories and their application to a selected offence.

Approach to Completing the Assignment

Step 1: Brainstorming Ideas and Conducting Broad Research

• Choose a crime type to focus on: sexual assault, theft, arson, fraud, intimate partner violence, hacking, drug dealing, or money laundering.

• Brainstorm all relevant ideas, examples, and theories linked to your selected offence.

• Don’t restrict ideas at this stage; the goal is to generate a broad pool of concepts to draw from later.

Step 2: Select Key Points

• Narrow down brainstormed ideas to those most relevant to explaining the chosen offence.

• Ensure these points align with the instructions for Assignment 3.

Step 3: Write a Thesis Statement (100 words max)

• Craft a clear, concise thesis summarising the essay’s main argument.

• Example: “This essay will argue that strain theory best explains the prevalence of car theft in Australian urban communities.”

Step 4: Outline Argument

• Identify the main points of your essay, including:

  • Offence context and prevalence in Australia

  • Theories selected

  • Relevance to the chosen offence

• Arrange these points into a coherent narrative.

Step 5: Build Essay Plan

• Divide your plan into five topic sentences (one per paragraph in Assignment 3).

• Map out what each paragraph will cover: introduction, main points, and conclusion.

• Topic sentences should act as the backbone for your essay.

Example Topic Sentences:

1. Car theft results in significant costs to the Australian public.

2. Certain communities are more vulnerable to car theft than others.

3. Explaining car theft requires understanding structural theories of crime.

4. Unemployment has a strong influence on rates of car theft.

5. Strain theory provides a more comprehensive explanation than other theories.

Step 6: Annotated Bibliography (500 words)

• Identify three scholarly sources:

  • 1 book or chapter

  • 2 peer-reviewed journal articles

• For each source, provide:

  • Full APA 7 citation

  • Description

  • Contribution to essay topic

  • Criminological/sociological relevance

• Sources must be scholarly; avoid websites, Wikipedia, and news media.

Step 7: Research and Referencing

• Use library databases, Google Scholar, and Swinburne Library resources.

• Ensure references are in APA 7th edition format.

• Include in-text citations in the essay plan.

Recommended Research Tools:

1. Swinburne Library Database: Search for criminology journals.

2. Google Scholar Advanced: Find academic sources and access via library portal.

3. Ebooks and Journals: Identify peer-reviewed articles and university-published books.

Assessment Criteria

• Demonstrate understanding of the chosen offence.

• Explain how the selected theory explains the offence and its limitations.

• Include clear topic sentences forming the essay’s backbone.

• Use credible scholarly sources for the annotated bibliography.

• Adhere to APA 7 referencing style.

• Follow word limits: 450–550 words per major section; total 1100 words (+/- 10%).

Learning Objectives Covered

• Develop critical thinking and analytical skills in criminology.

• Understand and apply crime causation theories.

• Learn structured academic writing, including essay planning and annotated bibliographies.

• Improve research skills, including source evaluation and referencing.

• Prepare for a full research essay with feedback on planning and structure.

Assignment Support

• Canvas Discussion Boards: Q&A for Assignment 2

• Swinburne Library: Access databases, ebooks, and peer-reviewed journals

• Alvie Assignment Feedback Tool: 24/7 support for grammar, style, and referencing

• APA 7 Quick Guide: Guidance for proper citation and referencing

Declaration of Authorship:
Students must confirm that:

• Work is original

• No part was written by another person without authorization

• Proper referencing has been applied

• The assignment is not previously submitted for another course

Plagiarism Warning:
Plagiarism is a serious offence. All sources must be acknowledged and correctly cited. Use of another’s work without citation may result in exclusion from the university.

This summary provides all key points from the CRI10002 Assignment 2 brief, explains the step-by-step approach taken by an academic mentor to guide a student, and outlines how the final outcome addresses learning objectives.

Brief Summary of Assessment Requirements

Purpose:
Assignment 2 is designed to prepare students for Assignment 3: Research Essay by developing critical thinking, research, and academic writing skills. It allows students to plan their essay structure, refine understanding of crime causation theories, and receive feedback before the final essay submission.

Key Components:

1. Essay Plan (600 words)

   • Thesis statement (max 100 words) outlining the chosen offence and argument.

   • Overview of one theory (Classicism, Biological Positivism, The Chicago School, or Anomie and Strain) from the unit.

   • Five topic sentences that form the backbone of the essay structure.

2. Annotated Bibliography (500 words)

   • Three scholarly sources: one book/chapter, two peer-reviewed journal articles.

   • Each annotation includes APA 7 citation, source description, contribution to the essay topic, and criminological/sociological relevance.

Assessment Focus:

• Demonstrate understanding of the chosen offence.

• Explain how the selected theory explains the offence and its limitations.

• Use credible scholarly sources.

• Adhere to APA 7 referencing style.

• Follow word limits accurately.

Process Guided by Academic Mentor

Step 1: Brainstorming Ideas

• The mentor advises the student to select a crime type (e.g., theft, fraud, intimate partner violence) and brainstorm all relevant ideas, examples, and theories.

• Emphasis is placed on generating a broad pool of concepts without filtering prematurely.

Step 2: Selecting Key Points

• The mentor helps the student identify the most relevant and illustrative points that will support their essay argument.

• Points are evaluated for alignment with Assignment 3 to ensure coherence with the upcoming essay.

Step 3: Writing a Thesis Statement

• The student is guided to write a concise thesis (≤100 words) summarizing the essay’s argument.

• Example provided: “This essay argues that strain theory best explains the prevalence of car theft in Australian urban communities.”

Step 4: Outlining the Argument

• The mentor instructs the student to arrange key points into a coherent narrative:

  • Offence context and prevalence in Australia

  • Selected theories and their relevance

  • Application of theory to chosen offence

Step 5: Building the Essay Plan

• The mentor helps the student draft five topic sentences, one per paragraph in Assignment 3:

  1. Car theft results in significant costs to the Australian public.

  2. Certain communities are more vulnerable to car theft than others.

  3. Explaining car theft requires understanding structural theories of crime.

  4. Unemployment has a strong influence on rates of car theft.

  5. Strain theory provides a more comprehensive explanation than other theories.

Step 6: Annotated Bibliography

• Mentor guides the student to locate three scholarly sources:

  • 1 book or chapter

  • 2 peer-reviewed journal articles

• Each source is critically summarized with APA 7 citation, description, contribution, and relevance to criminology/sociology.

Step 7: Research and Referencing

• Students are trained to use:

  • Swinburne Library databases

  • Google Scholar

  • Academic ebooks and journals

• Mentor ensures APA 7th edition formatting is correctly applied for in-text citations and reference list.

Final Outcome Achieved

• A structured essay plan with a clear thesis, five topic sentences forming paragraph foundations, and a coherent narrative linking the offence with the selected theory.

• A 500-word annotated bibliography of three high-quality scholarly sources demonstrating critical evaluation skills.

• The plan prepares students to confidently write Assignment 3 with a clear roadmap.

Learning Objectives Covered

• Develop critical thinking and analytical skills in criminology.

• Understand and apply crime causation theories to real-world offences.

• Gain proficiency in structured academic writing including essay planning and annotated bibliographies.

• Improve research skills: locating, evaluating, and referencing scholarly sources.

• Prepare for a full research essay with prior feedback and guidance.

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