Research Methods for Criminal Justice and Criminology (with InfoTrac),9780534516642

Research Methods for Criminal Justice and Criminology (with InfoTrac)

by ;
Edition: 3rd
ISBN13: 9780534516642
ISBN10: 0534516645
Format: Paperback
Pub. Date: 2000-08-09
Publisher(s): Wadsworth Publishing
Upgraded Edition: Click here!
  • Free Shipping Icon

    This Item Qualifies for Free Shipping!*

    *Excludes marketplace orders.

List Price: $129.15

Buy New

Arriving Soon. Will ship when available.
$123.00
Add to Cart

Rent Textbook

Select for Price
Add to Cart
There was a problem. Please try again later.

Used Textbook

We're Sorry
Sold Out

eTextbook

We're Sorry
Not Available

Buy from our Marketplace starting at $19.23

How Marketplace Works:

  • This item is offered by an independent seller and not shipped from our warehouse
  • Item details like edition and cover design may differ from our description; see seller's comments before ordering.
  • Sellers much confirm and ship within two business days; otherwise, the order will be cancelled and refunded.
  • Marketplace purchases cannot be returned to eCampus.com. Contact the seller directly for inquiries; if no response within two days, contact customer service.
  • Additional shipping costs apply to Marketplace purchases. Review shipping costs at checkout.

Summary

You'll feel like an actual participant in the research process with this bestseller's unique over-the-shoulder vantage point and practical, example-filled discussions drawn from various facets of criminal justice research. Prominent criminologist Michael G. Maxfield and acclaimed research methods author Earl Babbie guide you in effectively applying research methods to the study of crime and criminal justice policy. Conversational and learner-friendly, RESEARCH METHODS FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND CRIMINOLOGY includes many study tools, examples, and exercises to help you do well on exams and excel in this course.

Table of Contents

Preface x
PART 1 AN INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE INQUIRY 1(72)
Crime, Criminal Justice, and Scientific Inquiry
2(27)
Introduction: Why Study Research Methods?
3(1)
What Is This Book About?
3(1)
Two Realities
3(1)
Box: Home Detention
4(2)
The Role of Science
6(1)
Personal Human Inquiry
6(2)
Tradition
7(1)
Authority
7(1)
Box: Arrest and Domestic Violence
8(1)
Errors in Personal Human Inquiry
8(3)
Inaccurate Observation
8(1)
Overgeneralization
9(1)
Selective Observation
10(1)
Illogical Reasoning
10(1)
Ideology and Politics
10(1)
To Err Is Human
10(1)
The Foundations of Social Science
11(7)
Theory, Not Philosophy or Belief
11(2)
Regularities
13(1)
What About Exceptions?
13(1)
Aggregates, Not Individuals
13(1)
A Variable Language
14(1)
Variables and Attributes
15(1)
Variables and Relationships
16(2)
Purposes of Research
18(2)
Exploration
18(1)
Description
18(1)
Explanation
18(2)
Application
20(1)
Differing Avenues for Inquiry
20(4)
Idiographic and Nomothetic Explanations
20(2)
Inductive and Deductive Reasoning
22(1)
Quantitative and Qualitative Data
22(2)
Why Did Crime Go Down (or Up)?
24(1)
Ethics and Criminal Justice Research
24(2)
Knowing Through Experience: Summing Up and Looking Ahead
26(1)
Main Points
26(1)
Key Terms
27(1)
Review Questions and Exercises
27(1)
Additional Readings
27(2)
Theory and Criminal Justice Research
29(22)
Introduction
30(1)
The Creation of Social Science Theory
30(8)
The Traditional Model of Science
30(4)
Two Logical Systems
34(4)
Box: Grounded Theory and Community Prosecution
38(4)
Terms Used in Theory Construction
39(3)
Theory in Criminal Justice
42(4)
Law Breaking
43(2)
Policy Responses
45(1)
Theory, Research, and Public Policy
45(1)
New York's Secret? Purposive Action
46(3)
Ecological Theories of Crime and Crime Prevention Policy
48(1)
Main Points
49(1)
Key Terms
49(1)
Review Questions and Exercises
49(1)
Additional Readings
50(1)
Causation and Validity
51(22)
Introduction
52(1)
Determinism and Social Science
52(2)
Causation in the Natural Sciences
52(1)
Finding Causes in Social Science
52(1)
Reasons Have Reasons
53(1)
Determinism in Perspective
54(1)
Idiographic and Nomothetic Models of Explanation
54(2)
Criteria for Causality
56(2)
Necessary and Sufficient Causes
56(2)
Box: Correlation and Causality
58(2)
Molar, Not Micromedial, Causal Statements
58(2)
Errors of Reasoning
60(1)
Validity and Causal Inference
60(4)
Statistical Conclusion Validity
61(1)
Internal Validity
62(1)
Construct Validity
62(1)
External Validity
63(1)
Causation and Declining Crime
64(3)
Validity and Causal Inference Summarized
65(1)
Does Drug Use Cause Crime?
66(1)
Linking Measurement and Association
67(3)
The Traditional Deductive Model
67(2)
The Interchangeability of Indexes
69(1)
Main Points
70(1)
Key Terms
71(1)
Review Questions and Exercises
71(1)
Additional Readings
71(2)
PART 2 STRUCTURING CRIMINAL JUSTICE INQUIRY 73(136)
General Issues in Research Design
74(26)
Introduction
75(1)
Units of Analysis
75(6)
Individuals
76(1)
Groups
76(1)
Organizations
77(1)
Social Artifacts
78(1)
Units of Analysis in Review
78(1)
The Ecological Fallacy
79(1)
Reductionism
80(1)
The Time Dimension
81(1)
Cross-Sectional Studies
81(1)
Box: Units of Analysis in the National Youth Gang Survey
82(6)
Longitudinal Studies
82(2)
Approximating Longitudinal Studies
84(1)
Retrospective Studies
85(3)
The Time Dimension Summarized
88(1)
How to Design a Research Project
88(7)
The Research Process
88(2)
Getting Started
90(1)
Conceptualization
91(1)
Choice of Research Method
91(1)
Operationalization
92(1)
Population and Sampling
92(1)
Observations
92(1)
Data Processing
93(1)
Analysis
93(1)
Application
93(1)
Review
93(2)
The Research Proposal
95(1)
Elements of a Research Proposal
95(1)
Units and Time in New York
96(1)
Answers to Units of Analysis Exercise
97(1)
Main Points
97(1)
Key Terms
98(1)
Review Questions and Exercises
98(1)
Additional Readings
98(2)
Concepts, Operationalization, and Measurement
100(27)
Introduction
101(1)
Conceptions and Concepts
101(5)
Conceptualization
102(1)
Indicators and Dimensions
103(1)
Confusion Over Definitions and Reality
104(1)
Creating Conceptual Order
104(2)
Operationalization Choices
106(2)
Measurement as ``Scoring''
107(1)
Box: What Is Recidivism?
108(2)
Exhaustive and Exclusive Measurement
108(2)
Box: Jail Stay
110(4)
Levels of Measurement
110(2)
Implications of Levels of Measurement
112(2)
What's a Police Activity?
114(1)
Criteria for Measurement Quality
114(7)
Reliability
116(2)
Validity
118(3)
Composite Measures
121(3)
Typologies
121(1)
An Index of Disorder
122(2)
Measurement Summary
124(1)
Main Points
124(1)
Key Terms
125(1)
Review Questions and Exercises
125(1)
Additional Readings
125(2)
Measuring Crime
127(30)
Introduction
128(1)
General Issues in Measuring Crime
128(2)
What Offenses?
128(1)
What Units of Analysis?
129(1)
What Purpose?
129(1)
Box: Units of Analysis and Measuring Crime
130(1)
Crimes Known to Police
131(6)
Uniform Crime Reports
132(1)
UCR and Criteria for Measurement Quality
133(1)
Incident-Based Police Records
134(1)
National Incident-Based Reporting System
134(2)
NIBRS and Criteria for Measurement Quality
136(1)
Measuring Crime Through Victim Surveys
137(6)
National Crime Victimization Survey
137(2)
NCVS Redesign
139(2)
Community Victimization Surveys
141(1)
Comparing Victim Surveys and Crimes Known to Police
142(1)
Surveys of Offending
143(4)
National Household Survey on Drug Abuse
144(1)
Monitoring the Future
145(1)
Validity and Reliability of Self-Report Measures
146(1)
Self-Report Surveys Summarized
146(1)
Drug Surveillance Systems
147(3)
Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring
147(1)
Drug Abuse Warning Network
148(1)
Pulse Check
149(1)
Measuring Crime for Specific Purposes
150(2)
Crime Surveys
150(1)
Incident-Based Crime Records
151(1)
Observing Crime
151(1)
Measuring Crime in New York
152(2)
Measuring Crime: Summary
154(1)
Main Points
155(1)
Key Terms
155(1)
Review Questions and Exercises
155(1)
Additional Readings
156(1)
Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs
157(30)
Introduction
158(1)
The Classical Experiment
158(5)
Independent and Dependent Variables
159(1)
Pretesting and Posttesting
159(1)
Experimental and Control Groups
160(1)
Double-Blind Experiment
161(1)
Selecting Subjects
162(1)
Randomization
163(1)
Experiments and Causal Inference
163(8)
Experiments and Threats to Validity
164(1)
Threats to Internal Validity
164(3)
Ruling Out Threats to Internal Validity
167(2)
Generalizability
169(1)
Threats to Construct Validity
169(1)
Threats to External Validity
170(1)
Threats to Statistical Conclusion Validity
171(1)
Variations in the Classical Experimental Design
171(2)
Quasi-Experimental Designs
173(10)
Nonequivalent-Groups Designs
173(3)
Cohort Designs
176(1)
Time-Series Designs
177(3)
Variations in Time-Series Designs
180(1)
Gun Control, Homicide, and Suicide
181(2)
Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs Summarized
183(1)
A Variety of Designs in New York
184(1)
Main Points
184(1)
Key Terms
184(1)
Review Questions and Exercises
184(2)
Additional Readings
186(1)
Ethics and Criminal Justice Research
187(22)
Introduction
188(1)
Ethical Issues in Criminal Justice Research
188(9)
No Harm to Participants
189(2)
Voluntary Participation
191(1)
Anonymity and Confidentiality
192(1)
Deceiving Subjects
193(1)
Analysis and Reporting
193(1)
Legal Liability
194(1)
Special Problems
194(3)
Promoting Compliance with Ethical Principles
197(3)
Institutional Review Boards
197(3)
Box: Ethics and Juvenile Gang Members
200(1)
Institutional Review Board Requirements and Researcher Rights
200(1)
Two Ethical Controversies
201(1)
Trouble in the Tearoom
201(1)
Confidentiality in Police Research
202(4)
Simulating a Prison
204(2)
Discussion Examples
206(1)
Main Points
207(1)
Key Terms
207(1)
Review Questions and Exercises
207(1)
Additional Readings
208(1)
PART 3 MODES OF OBSERVATION 209(134)
Overview of Data Collection and Sampling
210(35)
Introduction
211(1)
Three Sources of Data
211(2)
Asking Questions
211(1)
Direct Observations
212(1)
Examining Written Records
212(1)
Using Multiple Data Sources
213(1)
General Issues in Data Collection
213(1)
Using Three Types of Data in New York City
214(2)
Measurement Validity and Reliability
214(1)
Obtrusive and Unobtrusive Measures
215(1)
Box: Multiple Measures in Home Detention
216(2)
Be Careful, But Be Creative
218(1)
The Logic of Probability Sampling
218(3)
Conscious and Unconscious Sampling Bias
218(2)
Representativeness and Probability of Selection
220(1)
Probability Sampling Theory and Sampling Distributions
221(8)
The Sampling Distribution of Ten Cases
222(1)
From Sampling Distribution to Parameter Estimate
223(3)
Estimating Sampling Error
226(2)
Confidence Levels and Confidence Intervals
228(1)
Random Sampling and Probability Theory Summed Up
228(1)
Populations and Sampling Frames
229(1)
Types of Sampling Designs
230(4)
Simple Random Sampling
230(1)
Systematic Sampling
230(1)
Stratified Sampling
230(2)
Disproportionate Stratified Sampling
232(1)
Multistage Cluster Sampling
232(2)
Multistage Cluster Sampling with Stratification
234(1)
Illustration: Two National Crime Surveys
234(4)
National Crime Victimization Survey
236(1)
British Crime Survey
236(2)
Probability Sampling in Review
238(1)
Nonprobability Sampling
238(2)
Purposive or Judgmental Sampling
238(1)
Quota Sampling
239(1)
Sampling New York City Police Precincts
240(2)
Reliance on Available Subjects
240(1)
Snowball Sampling
241(1)
Nonprobability Sampling in Review
242(1)
Main Points
242(2)
Key Terms
244(1)
Review Questions and Exercises
244(1)
Additional Readings
244(1)
Survey Research and Other Ways of Asking Questions
245(32)
Introduction
246(1)
Topics Appropriate to Survey Research
246(3)
Counting Crime
246(1)
Self-Reports
247(1)
Perceptions and Attitudes
247(1)
Policy Proposals
247(1)
Targeted Victim Surveys
248(1)
Other Evaluation Uses
248(1)
General-Purpose Crime Surveys
249(1)
Guidelines for Asking Questions
249(5)
Open-Ended and Closed-Ended Questions
249(1)
Questions and Statements
250(1)
Make Items Clear
250(1)
Short Items Are Best
250(1)
Avoid Negative Items
250(1)
Avoid Biased Items and Terms
251(1)
Tips on Self-Report Items
251(2)
Computer-Assisted Interviews
253(1)
Questionnaire Construction
254(4)
General Questionnaire Format
254(1)
Contingency Questions
254(2)
Matrix Questions
256(1)
Ordering Questions in a Questionnaire
257(1)
Self-Administered Questionnaires
258(3)
Mail Distribution and Return
259(1)
Warning Mailings, Cover Letters
259(1)
Monitoring Returns
260(1)
Follow-Up Mailings
260(1)
Acceptable Response Rates
261(1)
In-Person Interview Surveys
261(3)
The Role of the Interviewer
261(1)
General Rules for Interviewing
262(1)
Coordination and Control
263(1)
Telephone Surveys
264(2)
Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing
265(1)
Comparison of the Three Methods
266(2)
Strengths and Weakenesses of Survey Research
268(2)
Other Ways of Asking Questions
270(2)
Specialized Interviewing
270(1)
Focus Groups
271(1)
Should You Do It Yourself?
272(2)
Asking Questions in New York
274(1)
Main Points
275(1)
Key Terms
275(1)
Review Questions and Exercises
275(1)
Additional Readings
276(1)
Field Research
277(34)
Introduction
278(1)
Topics Appropriate to Field Research
279(1)
The Various Roles of the Observer
280(2)
Asking Questions
282(2)
Preparing for the Field
284(10)
Access to Formal Organizations
284(3)
Access to Subcultures
287(1)
Selecting Cases for Observation
288(2)
Sampling in Field Research
290(1)
Recording Observations
291(2)
Field Notes
293(1)
Structured Observations
293(1)
Linking Field Observations and Other Data
294(2)
Illustrations of Field Research
296(2)
Shoplifting
297(1)
Box: Conducting a Safety Audit
298(6)
How Many People Wear Seat Belts?
300(1)
``Driving While Black''
301(1)
Bars and Violence
302(2)
Field Research in New York
304(2)
Strengths and Weaknesses of Field Research
306(3)
Validity
306(1)
Reliability
307(1)
Generalizability
308(1)
Main Points
309(1)
Key Terms
310(1)
Review Questions and Exercises
310(1)
Additional Readings
310(1)
Agency Records, Content Analysis, and Secondary Data
311(32)
Introduction
312(1)
Topics Appropriate for Agency Records
312(2)
Types of Agency Records
314(8)
Published Statistics
314(2)
Nonpublic Agency Records
316(4)
New Data Collected by Agency Staff
320(2)
Units of Analysis and Sampling
322(2)
Units of Analysis
322(1)
Sampling
323(1)
Reliability and Validity
324(2)
Sources of Reliability and Validity Problems
325(1)
Box: How Many Parole Violators Were There Last Month?
326(3)
Content Analysis
329(6)
Units of Analysis and Sampling in Content Analysis
329(3)
Coding in Content Analysis
332(1)
Illustrations of Content Analysis
333(2)
Secondary Analysis
335(2)
Sources of Secondary Data
336(1)
Advantages and Disadvantages of Secondary Data
337(1)
Main Points
337(1)
NYPD Agency Records
338(2)
Key Terms
340(1)
Review Questions and Exercises
340(1)
Additional Readings
340(3)
PART 4 Application and Analysis 343(77)
Evaluation Research and Policy Analysis
344(35)
Introduction
345(1)
Topics Appropriate for Evaluation Research and Policy Analysis
345(4)
The Policy Process
346(1)
Linking the Process of Evaluation
347(2)
Getting Started
349(7)
Evaluability Assessment
350(1)
Problem Formulation
351(2)
Measurement
353(3)
Designs for Program Evaluation
356(11)
Randomized Evaluation Designs
356(3)
Home Detention: Two Randomized Studies
359(2)
Quasi-Experimental Designs
361(3)
Scientific Realism and Evaluation
364(2)
Other Types of Evaluation Studies
366(1)
Policy Analysis
367(4)
Modeling Prison Populations
367(3)
Other Applications of Policy Analysis
370(1)
Political Context of Applied Research
371(1)
Applied Research in the NYPD
372(3)
Evaluation and Stakeholders
373(1)
Politics and Objectivity
374(1)
Box: When Politics Accommodates Facts
375(1)
Main Points
376(1)
Key Terms
377(1)
Review Questions and Exercises
377(1)
Additional Readings
377(2)
Interpreting Data
379(41)
Introduction
380(1)
Univariate Description
380(8)
Distributions
380(1)
Central Tendency
381(2)
Dispersion
383(2)
Comparing Measures of Dispersion and Central Tendency
385(2)
Computing Rates
387(1)
Detail Versus Manageability
388(1)
Describing Two or More Variables
388(4)
Bivariate Analysis
388(3)
Multivariate Analysis
391(1)
Box: Murder on the Job
392(10)
Measures of Association
396(6)
Analyzing NYPD Crime Data
402(2)
Inferential Statistics
404(13)
Univariate Inferences
404(1)
Tests of Statistical Significance
405(1)
The Logic of Statistical Significance
405(5)
Visualizing Statistical Significance
410(2)
Chi Square
412(2)
Cautions in Interpreting Statistical Significance
414(1)
Visualizing Discernible Differences
415(2)
Main Points
417(1)
Key Terms
418(1)
Review Questions and Exercises
418(1)
Additional Readings
418(2)
Glossary 420(9)
Bibliography 429(13)
Name Index 442(2)
Subject Index 444

An electronic version of this book is available through VitalSource.

This book is viewable on PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and most smartphones.

By purchasing, you will be able to view this book online, as well as download it, for the chosen number of days.

Digital License

You are licensing a digital product for a set duration. Durations are set forth in the product description, with "Lifetime" typically meaning five (5) years of online access and permanent download to a supported device. All licenses are non-transferable.

More details can be found here.

A downloadable version of this book is available through the eCampus Reader or compatible Adobe readers.

Applications are available on iOS, Android, PC, Mac, and Windows Mobile platforms.

Please view the compatibility matrix prior to purchase.