Question 1

Agency records and statistics published by agencies or governmental entities are most commonly used for which type of studies?
A) explanatory
B) descriptive
C) evaluations
D) understanding the criminal justice system

Accepted Answer

Agency records and statistics published by agencies or governmental entities provide data that can be used to describe a particular phenomenon. Descriptive studies use this data to provide a clear picture of the subject or population being studied. They are used to summarize the data and provide an overview of the basic characteristics of a population or phenomenon.

Question 2

Social artifacts such as written documents or articles from newspapers would be best understood using which of the following?
A) content analysis
B) secondary analysis
C) agency records
D) none of the above

Accepted Answer

Content analysis involves systematically analyzing the content of social artifacts such as written documents or articles from newspapers to identify patterns, themes, and meanings. Therefore, it is the best option for understanding these types of social artifacts. Secondary analysis involves using pre-existing data to answer new research questions, and agency records refer to documents created by government agencies, both of which are less relevant for analyzing written texts.

Question 3

Being able to link an individual to the agency data collected about him/her is a clear violation of reliability and validity.

Accepted Answer

Linking an individual to the agency data collected about him/her primarily raises concerns about privacy and confidentiality, not necessarily reliability and validity. Reliability refers to the consistency of a measure, and validity refers to the accuracy of a measure.

Question 4

Data collected by other researchers is often used to address new research questions.

Accepted Answer

This is true. Utilizing data collected by other researchers can save time and resources and can provide new insights into the phenomena being studied. However, it is important to properly cite and acknowledge the original source of the data.

Question 5

Of all research purposes,evaluation is most effective when secondary data is used.

Accepted Answer

Evaluation research often requires primary data to directly assess the outcomes or impacts of programs, interventions, or policies, making primary data collection methods like surveys, interviews, and observations crucial for obtaining specific, timely, and relevant information. Secondary data, while useful, may not always provide the specific or current information needed for effective evaluation.

Question 6

Content analysis involves the systematic study of agency records.

Accepted Answer

Content analysis is a research technique for systematically analyzing communication content, such as written works, speech, or media, rather than specifically focusing on agency records.

Question 7

When using agency records,it is possible to move from individual to aggregate units of analysis,but not the other way around.

Accepted Answer

It is possible to move from individual to aggregate units of analysis by combining data from individual records to create aggregate measures, such as averages or percentages. However, it is not possible to move from aggregate to individual units of analysis without additional data collection or analysis.

Question 8

Understanding the details of how agency records are produced is one of the accepted means of controlling reliability and validity problems.

Accepted Answer

Understanding the details of how agency records are produced can help control potential reliability and validity issues in the data.

Question 9

Electronic formats of published statistics enjoy which of the following as an advantage over written records?
A) the data can be read directly into statistical and or graphics computer programs for analysis
B) much of the electronic data is inappropriate for spreadsheet software
C) most do not contain the original data while printed reports contain aggregate information
D) most will be considered confidential, thus not available to the researcher

Accepted Answer

Electronic formats of published statistics can be read directly into statistical and/or graphics computer programs for analysis, which makes it easier and more efficient to analyze the data.

Question 10

Topics that lend themselves to the use of content analysis tend to focus upon the links between communication and:
A) criminal justice policy
B) the actual crime rates
C) the media's understanding of criminal court convictions
D) understanding why people commit crime

Accepted Answer

Content analysis is often used to study the relationship between communication and criminal justice policy, as it involves analyzing communication content to understand how policies are discussed and perceived.

Question 11

By its very nature,secondary analysis is always unobtrusive.

Accepted Answer

Secondary analysis involves analyzing data that was collected by someone else, and while it can be unobtrusive because the researcher is not directly involved in data collection, it is not inherently unobtrusive. The nature of the original data collection could have been obtrusive.

Question 12

Agency records,secondary data and content analysis do not require direct interaction with research subjects.

Accepted Answer

These research methods involve analyzing existing data or documents, rather than interacting directly with individuals or groups being studied.

Question 13

Which of the following is not an example of nonpublic agency records?
A) the FBI's publication of the Uniform Crime Reports
B) information from a local police department concerning the number of crimes that happened within the past month
C) a prison's collection of files dealing with inmates currently in their custody
D) a county courthouse's records on defendants tried within the last six months

Accepted Answer

Nonpublic agency records are records that are not open to the general public, while the FBI's publication of the Uniform Crime Reports are available to the public. Option B, C, and D are examples of nonpublic agency records.

Question 14

All of the following are examples of information collected by or for public agencies except for:
A) published statistics such as National Crime Victimization Survey
B) research produced by faculty at private colleges and universities
C) nonpublic agency records such as internal police data identifying where most crime happens in their jurisdiction
D) new data collected by agency staff that is "hybrid" in nature

Accepted Answer

The other options all involve information that is collected by or for public agencies, while option B refers to research produced by faculty at private colleges and universities, which may not necessarily be conducted on behalf of public agencies.

Question 15

The Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics is the most comprehensive Bureau of Justice Statistics publication.It includes a multitude of data including all of the following except:
A) characteristics of criminal justice agencies
B) public opinion answers coming from the Gallup Poll
C) complete crime data from all local police departments
D) specific data on states using capital punishment and their execution statistics

Accepted Answer

The Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics compiles a wide range of data related to the criminal justice system, but it does not include complete crime data from all local police departments. This level of detail is beyond the scope of the publication, which focuses on broader statistics and trends within the criminal justice system.

Question 16

Which of the following would be an example of agency records that would be appropriate as a source of data for research?
A) Federal Bureau of Prison inmate records
B) medical records
C) juvenile court records
D) defense attorney records

Accepted Answer

Federal Bureau of Prison inmate records are public records and can be used for research purposes.

Question 17

Which of the following would not be an example of the data coming from the Census Bureau that have criminal justice applications?
A) Census of Children in Custody
B) National Crime Victimization Survey
C) Survey of Inmates in Local Jails
D) Uniform Crime Report

Accepted Answer

The Uniform Crime Report is compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), not the Census Bureau. The other options are indeed associated with the Census Bureau or have relevance to criminal justice data that could be collected by similar entities.

Question 18

Which type of the listed studies are highly aggregated summary data from published statistical series not typically used?
A) descriptive
B) explanatory
C) applied
D) exploratory

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which type of the listed studies are...

Question 19

It is relatively easy and common to have agencies modify their data collection forms in order to get information needed for a specific research project being conducted from someone outside the agency.

Accepted Answer

Modifying data collection forms can be complex and challenging due to bureaucratic processes, privacy concerns, and the need for consistency in data collection methods. Agencies often have established protocols and may be resistant to changes that could disrupt their systems or compromise the integrity of their data.

Question 20

Since criminal justice record keeping is a social process reflecting the decisions made by criminal justice personnel,a researcher must be careful of the impact this may have on the validity and reliability of the data.

Accepted Answer

Criminal justice record keeping is subjective in nature as it involves the decision-making of criminal justice personnel. Therefore, researchers need to be cautious of the potential influence this may have on the accuracy and consistency of the data collected through record keeping.

Quiz 12: Agency Records Content Analysis And Secondary Data

Agency records and statistics published by agencies or governmental entities are most commonly used for which type of studies?

Social artifacts such as written documents or articles from newspapers would be best understood using which of the following?

Being able to link an individual to the agency data collected about him/her is a clear violation of reliability and validity.

Data collected by other researchers is often used to address new research questions.

Of all research purposes,evaluation is most effective when secondary data is used.

Content analysis involves the systematic study of agency records.

When using agency records,it is possible to move from individual to aggregate units of analysis,but not the other way around.

Understanding the details of how agency records are produced is one of the accepted means of controlling reliability and validity problems.

Electronic formats of published statistics enjoy which of the following as an advantage over written records?

Topics that lend themselves to the use of content analysis tend to focus upon the links between communication and:

By its very nature,secondary analysis is always unobtrusive.

Agency records,secondary data and content analysis do not require direct interaction with research subjects.

Which of the following is not an example of nonpublic agency records?

All of the following are examples of information collected by or for public agencies except for:

The Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics is the most comprehensive Bureau of Justice Statistics publication.It includes a multitude of data including all of the following except:

Which of the following would be an example of agency records that would be appropriate as a source of data for research?

Which of the following would not be an example of the data coming from the Census Bureau that have criminal justice applications?

Which type of the listed studies are highly aggregated summary data from published statistical series not typically used?

It is relatively easy and common to have agencies modify their data collection forms in order to get information needed for a specific research project being conducted from someone outside the agency.

Since criminal justice record keeping is a social process reflecting the decisions made by criminal justice personnel,a researcher must be careful of the impact this may have on the validity and reliability of the data.