Methodological Exploration of the Crime Opinion Data Archive

• NCJ Number: 85946
• Author(s): J Nehnevajsa; G O Rogers
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 197 pages
• Grant Number(s): 78-NI-AX-0126
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: University of Pittsburgh
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This report considers the major methodological lessons that can be learned from the development and existence of the crime opinion data archive of the University Center for Social and Urban Research, which contains studies (since 1960) bearing on attitudes toward and opinions about crime and related issues.

Abstract

Methods-related issues having to do with the development, updating, and maintenance of data archives similar to the Center's are identified and discussed, followed by consideration of some of the main linkages between theory and methodology, so as to establish the basic limits to and ranges of the use of the archival information. This discussion helps to establish the context for the more specific issues of generalizability and comparability. Since concern over generalizability as a principle and generalizability to particular populations or segments of the study population is a crucial concern, the report then turns to a detailed consideration of the basic sampling designs of the various surveys in the archives and assesses the extent to which statistically reliable generalizations are appropriate and to what extent. The next focus is the extent to which the surveys in the archives yield data which can be generalized to particular demographic and sociocultural segments of the populations studied, as well the extent to which comparable demographic information may have been acquired by the researchers and the degree to which it appears in the files in comparable formats. Subsequent chapters examine some of the major substantive issues raised by the surveys, including (1) the problem of crime as perceived by the respondents, (2) the cause-effect reasoning that underlies lay interpretations of crime and changes in crime rates, (3) steps to combat crime viewed as being effective, (4) whether the police need more funding, and (5) how citizen lifestyles have been affected by perceptions of crime. The patterns of survey questions are viewed rather than the findings. A summary of the types of questions used in the surveys dealing with police, courts, and the prison system is provided, followed by highlights of the report's main conclusions. Data archive sampling information is appended, and a selected bibliography of about 70 listings is provided. (Author summary modified)