Assignment:
Numerous databases available today provide useful data for conducting criminal justice research. For example, databases offered by the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program contain data on crimes for which offenders were arrested. Also, the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) provides statistics about both victims and offenders. The criminal justice issue or problem being researched helps determine which criminal justice database to use. For example, if you wanted to investigate whether the elderly in a given area are being victimized more than other age groups, you could use the NCVS, which includes victim demographics and is not limited by whether an arrest has been made. On the other hand, the UCR program would not be appropriate to use in this case because it does not provide data about where a crime occurred and is limited only to crimes in which an arrest was made. In this Assignment, you become familiar with various criminal justice databases, and you will consider which one might be best for researching a criminal justice issue or problem of interest to you.
First, identify a criminal justice problem or issue of interest to you. This will become the research problem that you will revisit throughout the course.
Next, use the Learning Resources provided this week to help you examine how data analysis and research can be used in a specific criminal justice setting along with the importance of data analysis and research in that setting.
Finally, select a database you would use to research the issue or problem you identified. You may select one covered in the resources this week or one that you find through your own search.
In 250 to 750 words, respond to
1. Describe the criminal justice problem or issue you identified.
2. Explain how you might use the database you selected to research the problem or issue.
3. Explain the importance of data analysis and research for criminal justice professionals when attempting to address this problem.
Bachman, R. D., & Schutt, R. K. (2019). The practice of research in criminology and criminal justice (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Chapter, "Science, Society, and Research Related to Crime and Criminology" (pp. 2-25)
The Practice of Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice, 7th Edition by Bachman, R. D. & Schutt, R. K. Copyright 2019 by SAGE Publications, Inc. Reprinted by permission of SAGE Publications, Inc via the Copyright Clearance Center.
Bachman, R. D., & Schutt, R. K. (2019). The practice of research in criminology and criminal justice (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Chapter, "The Process and Problems of Research Related to Crime and Criminology" (pp. 26-41 and 50-58)
The Practice of Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice, 7th Edition by Bachman, R. D. & Schutt, R. K. Copyright 2019 by SAGE Publications, Inc. Reprinted by permission of SAGE Publications, Inc via the Copyright Clearance Center.
Federal Bureau of Investigation. (n.d.-b). Uniform crime reports.
This article describes the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program, which was established to provide uniform crime statistics for the United States. Today, the UCR program is the most widely used resource on crime statistics in the country.
Federal Bureau of Investigation. (n.d.-a). Crime data explorer.
Bureau of Justice Statistics. (n.d.). Victims.
This article provides data related to victims of various crimes. The data are collected by the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS).
Federal Justice Statistics Resource Center. (n.d.).
This website provides a database of statistics related to the federal criminal justice system.