Self-Reports About Place: The Application of Survey and Interview Methods to the Study of Small Areas (From Crime and Place, P 285-313, 1995, John E Eck and David Weisburd, eds. -- See NCJ-160730)

• NCJ Number: 160743
• Author(s): D P Rosenbaum; P J Lavrakas
• Date Published: 1995
• Length: 30 pages
• Sale Source: Police Executive Research Forum (PERF); Criminal Justice Press/Willow Tree Press
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS. Crime Prevention Studies, Volume 4

Annotation

This paper argues for more frequent use of surveys and interviews to advance the criminology of place and to improve current evaluations of place-specific crime prevention interventions by police departments, community groups, and others.

Abstract

Interview methodologies can produce reliable information about critical social processes and perceptions, data that are not obtainable through other methods. Because survey researchers have placed too much emphasis on sampling error, the authors encourage the adoption of a total survey error perspective. They also recommend the use of other interview methods, including place intercept surveys and focus groups, to capture data from specific types of place users. The concept of "mental mapping" is proposed to promote understanding of user fears and perceptions about target areas. In addition, a multimethod approach is recommended that will yield diverse types of information about place and will allow for triangulation and convergent validation of information. The criminology of place is discussed as a vital and growing area of research within the field of criminology, and the authors contend that the criminology of place can be advanced by employing surveys and other self-report methods to supplement data from official police records on which many researchers have relied in the past. 82 references and 6 notes