Criminal Justice Research and Crime Measurement Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering variables, major crime reporting systems (UCR, NIBRS, NCVS), survey methodologies, sampling logic, and field research roles/techniques.

Dependent variable ($Y$)

The "Effect"; it depends on changes in the independent variable.

Independent variable ($X$)

The "cause"; this variable is independent of other variables.

Units of Analysis

Specific entities about which researchers collect information, such as offenders, victims, offenses, and incidents.

Uniform Crime Reports (UCR)

A summary-based measure of crime under the FBI since the 1930s based on police records, using group-level units of analysis.

Type one offenses (index crimes)

UCR category including murder, rape, robbery, larceny, burglary, aggravated assault, motor vehicle theft, and arson.

National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)

A reporting system by the FBI and BJS that reports each crime incident individually across 46 Group A offenses rather than total summary counts.

Hierarchy rule

A reporting rule dropped in NIBRS, ensuring that offense classifications are mutually exclusive.

National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)

A longitudinal panel study started in 1972 by the Census Bureau to illuminate the "dark figure of unreported crime."

Telescoping

A negative element of NCVS referring to respondents providing faulty or inaccurate incident dates.

National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)

An ongoing self-report study used to measure crimes rarely observed or reported to police, such as drug abuse.

Monitor the Future (MTF)

An ongoing self-report study focusing on surveys of offending.

Open ended questions

Survey questions where the respondent is asked to provide his or her own answer.

Closed ended questions

Survey questions where the respondent selects an answer from a list that should be exhaustive and mutually exclusive.

Likert scale

A typically 5-point scale used for statements to measure agreement, ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree.

Sampling

The process of selecting observations to allow a researcher to make a small subset of observations and generalize to the rest of the population.

Equal Probability of Selection Method (EPSEM)

The basis of probability sampling where a sample is representative if every member of the population has a known and equal chance of being selected.

Field research

A data collection method encompassing direct observation and asking questions, often resulting in qualitative data.

Ethnography

A type of field research that focuses on detailed and accurate description of a phenomenon rather than explanation.

Complete participant

A research role where the observer participates fully and their true identity and purpose are not known to the subjects.

Participant-as-observer

A research role where the researcher makes their position known and participates with the group being studied.

Observer-as-participant

A research role where the researcher's position is known, but they do not actually participate in the group activities.

Complete observer

A research role where the researcher observes a subject or group without becoming a participant.

Field notes

Observations recorded as written notes, often starting as sketchy notes and then rewritten in detail in a field journal.

Structured observations

A method where observers mark closed-ended forms to produce numeric measures during field research.