In few fields are the study and improvement of decision making as important as in criminal justice, where the decisions made create a system out of disparate agencies and define the organizational policies of those agencies. Data is often a driving force when it comes to the criminal justice system.
Critique the major sources of data about crime in the United States: the Uniform Crime Reports, the National Incident-Based Reporting System, and the National Crime Victimization Survey. Compare and contrast the strengths and weaknesses of each. How should data from these sources be used in research, and how should that research influence management and policy decisions? What cautions would you suggest?