NCJ Number
66830
Editor(s)
S M TALARICO
Date Published
1980
Length
407 pages
Annotation
INTENDED FOR STUDENTS OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, THIS ANTHOLOGY PRESENTS ARTICLES ON RESEARCH APPROACHES, PROBLEMS, AND POLICY.
Abstract
APPROACHES CONSIST OF (1) RESEARCH SCOPE AND METHODS, INCLUDING BOTH THE ORIENTATION OF A PARTICULAR INVESTIGATION (BASIC OR APPLIED) AND (2) THE VARIETY OF STRATEGIES THAT CAN BE USED IN A GIVEN RESEARCH PROJECT. ARTICLES REPRESENTATIVE OF RESEARCH TYPES INCLUDE THOSE ON APPLICATION OF DISCRIMINANT ANALYSIS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESEARCH AND ON MEASUREMENT PROBLEMS IN OFFICIAL AND SURVEY CRIME RATES. METHODS OF RESEARCH EXAMINED HERE ARE COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS, HISTORICAL RESEARCH, AND TIME-SERIES DATA. RESEARCH PROBLEMS ARE DIVIDED INTO METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS, WHICH CAN BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PECULIAR REQUIREMENTS OF BOTH SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY AND STATISTICS, AND POLITICAL PROBLEMS, WHICH ENCOMPASS THE INDIRECT BUT NONETHELESS CONSEQUENTIAL FORCES THAT AFFECT RESEARCH PURSUITS. UNDER THE METHODOLOGICAL RUBRIC ARE ARTICLES DEALING WITH RESEARCH DESIGN PROBLEMS, DATA RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY, AND STATISTICS MISINTERPRETATION. DISCUSSIONS OF POLITICAL PROBLEMS ARE DEVOTED TO ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN EXPERIMENTAL AND EVALUATIONS RESEARCH AND TO THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF DATA ABOUT INDIVIDUALS. THE THIRD MAJOR SECTION OF THE ANTHOLOGY DEALS WITH TWO ASPECTS OF POLICY: THE POLICY IMPLICATIONS OF RESEARCH AND THE INTERPRETATION OF RESEARCH RESULTS. SPECIFIC ARTICLES COVER RESEARCH AND POLICE PATROL OFFICER SELECTION, THE DECISION TO CONVICT, THE LENGTH OF INSTITUTIONALIZATION, AND DELINQUENT PROGRAM COMPLETION AND RECIDIVISM. FINALLY, THE SIGNIFICANCE OF INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS IS DEMONSTRATED IN A PAPER PRESENTING CONFLICTING RESEARCH RESULTS FROM DIFFERENT INVESTIGATIONS OF THE SAME TWO CASES. THE 24 ARTICLES IN THIS COLLECTION REFLECT THE BREADTH AND SCOPE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESEARCH, ILLUSTRATING ALSO THAT THE FOCUS OF MOST STUDIES HAS BEEN IN THE REALM OF CORRECTIONS, AT THE POSTCONVICTION LEVEL OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROCESS. FOOTNOTES AND TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED WITH INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES. MAJOR TOPICAL SECTIONS HAVE QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AND REFERENCES. FOR INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, SEE NCJ 66831-66840, 07925, 44103, 31477, 11654, 37835, AND 31584.