An indicator of the dimension “victim harm” is _____.
a. economic gain
b. gender of victim
c. physical injury
d. location of injury
The word ethical means:
a. conforming to the standards of conduct of a given profession or group
b. conforming to the standards of conduct of religion
c. conforming to the norms or standards of royal family
d. conforming to the standards of conduct of what is seen in the media
The use of rates in the reporting of criminal justice data allow the researcher to _____.
a. standardize by sample size
b. make more meaningful comparisons
c. explain methodology
d. select random sample
The purpose of sampling is to select a set of elements from a population so that the
descriptions of the sample statistics accurately portray the parameters of the population.
This is best achieved through _____.
a. use of a convenience sample
b. use of random selection
c. use of the sampling element
d. use of sampling error
Which of the following is not a guideline for the presentation of tabular data?
a. there is no need to display information about missing data, include only that
information which pertains to the independent and dependent variables
b. when using percentages in a table, the base on which the percentages are computed
should be indicated
c. a heading or title for the table should be given that succinctly describes what is
contained in the table
d. the attributes of each variable should be clearly indicated
Which of the following is accurate concerning data acquired during field research?
a. qualitative data that is easily reduced to numbers
b. quantitative data that is not easily reduced to numbers
c. qualitative data that is not easily reduced to numbers
d. all the data gathered must be reducible to numbers
Which of the following is not accurate concerning validity and reliability of agency
records?
a. the shorter the time intervals under study the greater the concern about procedure
changes
b. longitudinal researchers must be concerned about changes in operational definitions
over time
c. longitudinal researchers must be concerned about changes in procedures over time
d. the longer the time interval under study the greater the concern about procedure
changes
Which of the following statements is accurate?
a. Threats to internal validity are increased by carefully controlling conditions.
b. Threats to internal validity are decreased by carefully controlling conditions.
c. Threats to generalizability of research findings in experiments are unrelated to
internal validity
d. Threats to the sample to which the results will apply
To gain access to a formal criminal justice organization for the purpose of conducting
field research, which of the following steps should be followed?
a. find an informant and then send a letter to gain access
b. find a sponsor, send a letter, follow up with a phone call and then set up a meeting
c. telephone the agency and speak with the director and set up a meeting
d. field research cannot be done in formal criminal justice organizations, only use of
written records is allowed
Criminal justice research has the potential for all but which of the following?
a. psychological harm
b. physical harm
c. embarrassment
d. harm to the reader of the research
When using agency records in their research, researchers keep in mind two general
maxims:
a. “Follow the paper trail” and “expect the expected”
b. “Follow the paper trail” but “expect the unexpected”
c. “Follow the rules” and “expect the expected”
d. “Follow the trail” and “expect the paper”
Program evaluation differs from policy analysis with respect to _____.
a. the time dimension within the policy process
b. the cost
c. the time
d. the role of the stakeholder
Which of the following do not represent measures of dispersion?
a. ranges
b. means
c. standard deviations
d. variance
When reading a table for bivariate analysis that displays percentages of some attributes,
what is the rule of thumb for reading the table?
a. if it adds up to 100% the statistics are accurate
b. if the table is percentaged down, read across and if the table is percentaged across,
read down
c. if the table is percentaged down, read down and if the table is percentaged across,
read across
d. the table may explain levels of measurement
In the home detention studies used in your text as examples of randomized studies, the
authors concluded that _____.
a. randomization allows generalization
b. randomization allows for reliability
c. randomization does not control for variation in treatment integrity and program
delivery
d. randomization does control for variation in treatment integrity and program delivery
Justice organizations are increasingly using techniques of ______ to study patterns of
cases and devise appropriate responses.
a. problem analysis
b. research
c. literature review
d. inductive reasoning
Which of the following is accurate concerning the use of systematic sampling?
a. systematic sampling is a poor example of simple random sampling
b. systematic sampling is often used as a substitute for stratified sampling
c. systematic sampling is frequently used rather than a simple random sample
d. systematic sampling is a non-probability sampling
If randomization is not possible, what should the researcher do?
a. do nothing
b. use the classical design
c. use a quasi-experimental design
d. Randomization is always possible.
Attempts to guard against harm to the participants in the simulated prison were
accomplished by all but which of the following?
a. making certain that all participants were psychologically healthy
b. insisting that those who were assigned the guard role would not use physical force
against those assigned to the role of prisoner
c. any participant who showed distress was released from the simulation early
d. telling the participants in advance about all the potential harm
Which of the following is a concern when selecting subjects for an experiment?
a. the manner in which subjects will be selected
b. what variables will be selected
c. the sample to which the results will apply
d. level of measurement
Criterion-related validity refers to _____.
a. a comparison of measures to some external criterion
b. an empirical measure that may or may not agree with our common understanding of
a particular concept
c. the degree to which a measure covers the range of meanings included within the
concepts
d. the basis of logical relationships among variables
A local university is hosting the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) for a large group
of prospective law students. Since there is such a large group taking the test, some
professors of sociology from the local university decide to administer a questionnaire to
the group asking their ideas on teenage sexual promiscuity. The professors informed the
group about their research project. They assured them that their identity will not be
disclosed and all information gathered will remain confidential. Which ethical
consideration was not considered?
a. explaining the purpose
b. voluntary participation
c. anonymity
d. confidentiality
Which of the following would serve as an example of a cross sectional study?
a. Uniform Crime Reports
b. the 2000 U.S. census
c. a single wave of the National Crime Victimization Survey
d. both Uniform Crime Reports and the 2000 U.S. census
When we say something is valid, we make a judgment about the extent to which
relevant evidence supports that inference as being _____.
a. reliable
b. probable
c. true or correct
d. untrue
Which of the following represent a continuous variable?
a. gender
b. race
c. age
d. religious affiliation
Neither the subjects nor the researcher can identify which group is the control group
and which is the experimental group. Which design does this describe?
a. cross-sectional
b. double-blind
c. a blind experiment
d. of no value
Reporting why some people believe that police are doing a good job while other people
do not is an example of _____.
a. explanatory research
b. idiographic explanation
c. singular explanation
d. application research
Which of the following is not a central feature of the classical experiment?
a. variables
b. time order
c. concepts
d. groups
When we rely on the “truths” of our culture we are accepting knowledge derived from
the majority. This is acceptance of _____.
a. traditions
b. myths
c. reality
d. none of the above
Which of the following represents a negative item?
a. drugs such as marijuana should not be legalized
b. it is fair to say that marijuana is a drug
c. unlike alcohol, marijuana does not make the user mean
d. drugs have negative effect
Field research in criminal justice may produce either or
a. Only qualitative data
b. Only quantitative data
c. either qualitative or quantitative data
d. Only grounded theory
The sum of squared deviations from the mean divided by the number of cases is the
_____.
a. variance
b. range
c. the sum of the squared variance
d. standard deviation
Whereas people often observe inaccurately, science avoids such errors by making
______ a careful and deliberate activity.
a. reason
b. description
c. fallacy
d. observation
Data collected by other researchers is often used to address new research questions.
A researcher should complete a(n) ____________________ that reflects their own
understanding of program goals, elements, and operations of the organization under
study.
NIBRS reports each crime incident rather than the total number of certain crimes.
When we generalize from samples to larger populations, we use inferential statistics to
test the significance of an observed relationship.
Frequency distributions of grouped data, known as ________________, will allow for a
manageable format but with some loss of detail.
Specifying the different ____________ of a concept often paves the way for a more
sophisticated understanding of what we are studying.
Stratified sampling results in a greater degree of representativeness but at the same time
increases the probable sampling error.
In univariate analysis, missing data can be reported in several different ways.
_______________ is a matter of whether a particular measurement technique, applied
repeatedly to the same object, will yield the same result each time.
Causation, units, and __________ are key elements in planning a research study.
As you review the research literature, you should make note of how other researchers
approached the problem, and consider whether the same designs will meet your
research objective.
Crimes must at a minimum have an offender, because without an offender there is no
crime.
Field observation is not the preferred data collection method for obtaining information
about physical or social settings, behavior, and events.
When the researcher selects the role of ________________ they are participating with
the group but let the group know that they are conducting research.
Policy ___________ refer to what is actually produced.
When the researcher starts to identify too closely with the interests and viewpoints of
the participants, they are said to have ______________.
Outputs refer to the basic question of what a policy action is trying to achieve while
impacts refer to the means of achieving desired policy goals.
Outcome measures in evaluation research serve as the independent variables in the
research question.