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This is the final project for this class, which will allow you to demonstrate your knowledge of, and skills with, research methods you have learned throughout the course. For this project, imagine you work for a police department that is considering adopting body-worn cameras. You have been asked to evaluate the scholarly literature on body-worn cameras to help the administration decide whether adopt them in your agency.

Instructions

1. Read Lesson 5: Lecture 3: Evaluation Research and Policy Analysis. (It's ok to skip ahead and read this lecture early on in the course).

2. Read the 3 assigned articles by Groff (2020), Huff et al. (2022), and Hughes et al. (2020). Refer to lesson 2, lecture 3 if needed for tips on reading scholarly articles.

3. Identify a problem statement based on these articles (Think: what social problem or problems do body-worn cameras have the potential to solve?).

4. Identify and read at least one other study with a similar dependent variable or variables to the assigned articles. Refer back to lesson 1, lecture 3 if needed for tips on searching for scholarly articles.

5. Write an evaluation of the literature with policy recommendations based on the four articles. It should have the following subheadings and contain the information specified:

· Problem statement: What social problem or problems do body-worn cameras have the potential to solve?

· Strength of the research literature: Rank order the four articles by how strong their research designs were and provide a short summary of the methodology of each.

· Findings of the research literature: Synthesize and summarize the findings of the four articles to explain to your hypothetical supervisors what is generally known about body-worn cameras.

· Limitations and directions for future research: Make note of any major limitations in the four articles reviewed and summarize what you would still like to know about the effects of body-worn cameras.

6. Policy recommendation: Based on the findings of the research and the strength of their methodologies, make your recommendation to your hypothetical supervisor about whether to adopt body-worn cameras. Note that while this is your opinion, it should be supported by the research evidence.

7. In-text citations and reference page: Cite all four articles and any other sources used in-text AND in a reference page; follow links to help you with APA-style in-text citations & how to set up a reference page/what is meant by a full citation .

8. Formatting: Use 12-point, Times New Roman font; double-spaced, 1-inch margins. The paper should be 4 – 7 pages in length.

Submit the completed assignment here in Blackboard.

Groff 2020. The effects of body-worn cameras on police-citizen encounters and police activity: evaluation of a pilot implementation in Philadelphia, PA.pdf

Huff et al. 2022. A randomized controlled trial of the impact of body-worn camera activation on the outcomes of individual incidents.pdf

Hughes et al. 2020. The influence of body‐worn cameras, minority threat, and place on police activity.pdf

Evaluation Research & Policy Analysis

In this lecture we will delve into evaluation research and policy analysis — their importance in the field of criminal justice, and the methods used in each. We will study the CDC's guides to policy analysis and their analytical framework for assessing policy. We will consider the key stakeholders in policy analysis and look at some examples of research institutions and think tanks that are engaged in policy research within the field of criminal justice.

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 Evaluation Research & Policy Analysis

In this lecture we will delve into evaluation research and policy analysis — their importance in the field of criminal justice, and the methods used in each. We will study the CDC's guides to policy analysis and their analytical framework for assessing policy. We will consider the key stakeholders in policy analysis and look at some examples of research institutions and think tanks that are engaged in policy research within the field of criminal justice.

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 What is Evaluation Research?

You may recall from lesson two, evaluation research is a special type of explanatory research that takes place after some type of intervention has occurred that was designed to change a phenomenon in some way. The goal of evaluation research is to evaluate the efficacy of the program or intervention. Questions in evaluation research include “was this intervention effective?” “for who” and “why” did it work (or not)?

Evaluation research is an important and ongoing component of policy research: the evaluation of the impact of public policies.

It is important to remember that public policy comprises substantive perspectives and values, mixed with institutional processes for realizing them. Additionally, criminal justice policy in particular offers numerous examples of the law of unintended consequences: policy that attempts to solve one problem only to lead to another, unanticipated problem. Despite the best efforts of researchers, it is impossible to fully predict all consequences and impacts of a policy. The risk of disparity between intended policy goals and consequences on the ground means that we constantly need to pay attention to policy choices, policy outputs, and policy impacts.

Evaluation Research By Amy Blackstone, PhD

Evaluation research is research that is conducted to assess the effects of specific programs or policies. Evaluation research is often used when some form of social intervention is planned, such as welfare reform or school curriculum change. It might be used to assess the extent to which intervention is necessary by attempting to define and diagnose social problems, and it might also be used to understand whether applied interventions have had their intended consequences. Let's consider a couple of specific examples of evaluation research to better understand how and when it is employed. Previously, I mentioned my experience conducting evaluation research with a transitional housing program. Among other services, workers at the transitional housing locations counseled residents on finding and maintaining employment. One purpose of the evaluation research therefore was to determine whether residents felt they were able to transition successfully back into their communities after a period of institutionalization by obtaining employment that could sustain a life outside of the transitional housing site. This outcomes assessment was conducted in order to determine whether the job counseling provided by the transitional housing employees produced the desired goal of preparing residents for finding and maintaining employment. My first experience with evaluation research occurred during my senior year of college. That year, I conducted an internship at a hospital development office. My main task as an intern was to help the office assess how effective it had been in the preceding years in meeting its goal of raising local awareness of and support for the hospital. Using interview research methodology, I collected data from hospital employees and board members as well as members of the local community to learn about what people knew about the hospital, its development office, and the hospital's services and needs. This project culminated in written report and a final presentation to several members of the hospital board in which the development office director and I outlined several recommendations for future development office activities based on the feedback provided by the people I had interviewed. Being able to apply what I'd learned in my research methods class to a real-world problem and solutions was an invaluable experience. Not only that, while gaining this experience I was able to contribute to the well-being of my community by helping a needed local resource (the hospital) find ways improve its relationship with the community. Perhaps you could look for similar opportunities in your community. Of course, this specific example isn't one of "doing research for a living," as suggested by this section's title, but it certainly gave me an experience worth noting on my resume and got me in the door of several potential employers for interviews when I began looking for jobs. There are many other instances of applied evaluation research conducted by social scientists who are employed by firms for their skills as researchers. Just google the phrase evaluation research firm and you'll find many examples. Different firms may specialize in different areas of research. For example, Hoffman Clark & Associates is a California-based firm, that specializes in public health and K-12 education assessment. Arizona firm LeCroy & Milligan Associates Inc. conducts evaluation research in the areas of criminal justice and health and human services. In Colorado, Outcomes Inc. focuses on children and families. Wilder Research , based in Minnesota, conducts evaluation research designed to help strengthen families and their communities. Massachusetts firm, Social Science Research & Evaluation Inc. specializes in, among other areas, evaluation research on highway safety and transportation Finally, Inventivo Design LLC in Colorado tailors its evaluation research services to corporations wishing to assess whether their investments meet the goals of management and deliver on objectives. As you can see from this very limited sampling of evaluation research firms, employment as an evaluation researcher could take you to just about any area of the country and involve work with any number of industries and sectors. From: Evaluation Research in Chapter 14: Research methods in the real world. In A. L. Marenco (Ed.) Sociology 102: Principles of Sociological Inquiry, pages 199-200.Bottom of Form

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 Evaluation Research & Policy Analysis

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 What is Evaluation Research?

Evaluation research is an important and ongoing component of policy research: the evaluation of the impact of public policies.

The reading below by Dr. Amy Blackstone provides a good overview of evaluation research.

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 Policy Research

In its broadest sense, public policy is a reflection of how people in political society define a good life, and how they try to achieve it through their political institutions. Policy also represents social control and ensures members of society are compliant and conform to the laws.

 The policymaking process is the development, implementation, and evaluation of laws, rules, and procedures that provide a course of action for an organization and government. In the best of cases, policy is developed through a legislative or executive process based on methodical analysis of a problem followed by careful implementation and further evaluation.

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 Evaluation Research & Policy Analysis



 Source

 What is Evaluation Research?

Evaluation research is an important and ongoing component of policy research: the evaluation of the impact of public policies.

The reading below by Dr. Amy Blackstone provides a good overview of evaluation research.

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 Policy Research

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 Policy Research in the Criminal Justice Field

Policy research is a very important component of the criminal justice field. As Alison Burke introduces the reading below, everyone is affected by the criminal justice system through public policy. Policies include issues related to: juvenile justice, drug legislation, intimate partner violence, prison overcrowding, school safety, new federal immigration laws, terrorism, and national security.

Policy best informs the criminal justice system when it is developed through a means of theory and study, is implemented through a deliberative process, and subsequently undergoes robust evaluation and investigation as to its effect once implemented.

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 Evaluation Research & Policy Analysis



 Source

 What is Evaluation Research?

Evaluation research is an important and ongoing component of policy research: the evaluation of the impact of public policies.

The reading below by Dr. Amy Blackstone provides a good overview of evaluation research.

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 Policy Research

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 Policy Research in the Criminal Justice Field

Read the following sections from the chapter below:

· 4.1: The Importance of Policy in Criminal Justice (pp. 139-141)

· 4.3: The Stages of Policy Development (pp. 147-150)

· 4.5: Re-evaluating Policy (pp. 153-156)

 Reading — Chapter 4: Policymaking. From Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System (Burke et al, 2019)

  Policy Research Institutions

Before we delve into how to conduct policy analysis and research, take a few minutes to explore some different organizations that are engaged in policy research in the field of criminal justice. These are just a few organizations out of many. If you are interested in a career in policy analysis, it is a great idea to familiarize yourself early on with the kinds of research that are being conducted among potential employers.

 Conducting Public Policy Analysis

The CDC defines policy analysis as "the process of identifying potential policy options that could address your problem and then comparing those options to choose the most effective, efficient, and feasible one." Conducting a policy analysis ensures you have gone through a systematic process to choose the policy option that may be best for your situation.

CDC Guides to Policy Analysis and Analytical Framework

Read the following guide to "Policy Analysis" from the Office of the Associate Director for Policy and Strategy. Pay attention to who are the key stakeholders and the steps of a policy analysis. Take a look at the "Key Questions in Policy Analysis" and table linked at the bottom. Bookmark these readings as they will also be great resource to use in the future for help on how to conduct policy analysis.

Then, read the CDC's Policy Analytical Framework which details the CDC’s 5 step Policy Process. The process consists of the following domains: problem identification, policy analysis, strategy and policy development, policy enactment. The process also has two overarching domains that should be considered throughout the policy cycle: stakeholder engagement and education and evaluation.

How do you Conduct A Policy Analysis?

CDC.gov

1. Research and identify possible policy options.

You can do this by reviewing research literature, conducting an environmental scan, and surveying best practices to understand what other communities are doing.

2. Describe the possible policy options.

As you conduct your policy analysis, pay attention to the health impact, cost of implementation, and feasibility of each option. To describe these three factors, you can ask yourself and your stakeholders questions such as:

· What population(s) will be affected by each policy option? By how much? And when?

· What is the context around the possible policy options, including political history, environment, and policy debate?

· What are the costs and benefits associated with each policy option from a budgetary perspective?

When you are assessing feasibility, it is important to identify any barriers that could prevent a policy from being developed, enacted, or implemented. A policy might be more feasible in one city or at a certain time, but not others. You might find that as circumstances change, what is considered affordable or publicly acceptable may change with them.

3. Rank the possible policy options and pick the one you think is best.

Compare the policy options for health impact, economic and budgetary impact, and feasibility. Next, rank each one based on those criteria. Stakeholders can provide guidance on how to do this. Your rankings will always be partially subjective, so it helps to systematically document your rationale. In some cases, your review may reveal a clear winner—a policy that is a) feasible, b) has a strong, positive impact on public health, and c) is economically and fiscally viable. In other cases, ranking the options may be more complicated and involve assessing trade-offs.



 Evaluation Research & Policy Analysis



 Source

 What is Evaluation Research?

Evaluation research is an important and ongoing component of policy research: the evaluation of the impact of public policies.

The reading below by Dr. Amy Blackstone provides a good overview of evaluation research.

  

 Policy Research



 Policy Research in the Criminal Justice Field

Read the following sections from the chapter below:

· 4.1: The Importance of Policy in Criminal Justice (pp. 139-141)

· 4.3: The Stages of Policy Development (pp. 147-150)

· 4.5: Re-evaluating Policy (pp. 153-156)

 Reading — Chapter 4: Policymaking. From Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System (Burke et al, 2019)

  Policy Research Institutions

  Conducting Public Policy Analysis

Watch the following 9 minute video on public policy and policy analysis. As described in the video, the goal of policy analysis is to improve policy outcomes. Policy may be subjected to legal analysis, feasibility analysis, impact analysis, cost-benefit analysis, and client-based analysis. Policy analysis will ultimately be judged by the extent to which it enables communities to weave together a shared sense of the common good.

  CDC Guides to Policy Analysis and Analytical Framework

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How do you Conduct A Policy Analysis?

CDC.gov

1. Research and identify possible policy options.

You can do this by reviewing research literature, conducting an environmental scan, and surveying best practices to understand what other communities are doing.

2. Describe the possible policy options.

· What population(s) will be affected by each policy option? By how much? And when?

· What is the context around the possible policy options, including political history, environment, and policy debate?

· What are the costs and benefits associated with each policy option from a budgetary perspective?

3. Rank the possible policy options and pick the one you think is best.

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  Stakeholders

Policy is often achieved as a result of the efforts of special interest stakeholders. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is an example of one type of special interest stakeholder, whose work has led to policies aimed at reducing the harm caused by impaired drivers. Special interest stakeholders include private and non-profit enterprises, treatment centers or correctional settings, training schools, and other institutions whose aim is to reform behavior or simply profit from housing inmates.

 Policy Analysis Stakeholders

CDC.gov

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 The CDC's 5 step policy making process

Can you identify each stage of the policy making cycle?

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