CJUS745 Week 2- Types of Variables/Measurement of Public Data
Discussion Thread: Survey Research
Survey research has become an important component of the public agency
data analyst’s toolbox. Explain how survey research has been used to
support and analyze policy decisions by Criminal Justice administrators.
CJUS745 Week 2
The survey research method finds common applications in many social science fields,
including social justice. The fundamental nature of the survey method is that researchers obtain
answers to questions by engaging the target population directly. Therefore, the main criterion for
determining survey research is any process of asking questions to respondents directly. Some of
the most commonly applied questioning techniques include face-to-face interviews,
questionnaires, and online surveys. The overall goal of these survey methods is to create a
detailed understanding of the lived experiences, opinions, and knowledge of the target
population. In criminal justice research, there exists the view that policies are consistently
founded upon established laws. However, a deeper reading of the criminal justice work
environment suggests that professionals operate with some level of discretion. This means that
research activities are an influential aspect of the various criminal justice professions. Overall,
survey research methods are central in acquiring evidence for practice and policy-making.
Given the central role that ideological and political considerations play in criminal justice
professions, survey research methods form the basis for a detailed understanding of prevalent
trends. Evidence serves a somewhat unclear role in criminal justice. Unlike other disciplines
such as medicine, where evidence is widely accepted and even recommended as the basis for
practice and policy. However, the situation in criminal justice is somewhat complex.
Specifically, criminal justice professionals must look at scientific standards and prevailing trends
at any particular time (De Bondt, 2015). For example, when the courts make their decisions, they
consider a combination of the statute, previous decisions of the court, and the ideological appeals
that define the issue at a particular time. In light of these considerations, advocating for a
particular criminal justice issue demands a nuanced understanding. Surveys help attain this goal
by providing access to firsthand information from the affected population.
The next application of survey research in criminal justice is humanizing criminal justice
policies. As noted earlier, criminal justice is unique in that it relies on variables other than
scientific evidence. According to Johnson et al. (2018), the dynamic nature of society and its
values is to blame for the underutilization of complex research findings in criminal justice.
Often, criminal justice policies are founded on public emotion or fear rather than research
evidence. Subsequently, some conflict exists between academicians and the criminal justice field
mainly because the former considers some criminal justice policies the product of irrational
beliefs rather than substantive values. Indeed, this conflict between academicians and the
criminal justice field culminates in attempts to remove these so-called emotions from the policy-
making process. However, Johnson et al. (2018) advocate against attempts to eliminate these
emotions as this would situate criminal justice in a vacuum. Instead, criminal justice
professionals are obligated to account for these emotions in an effort to understand the human
condition fully. Engaging the public through surveys sets the foundation for understanding the
emotions that guide public response to issues such as crime.
Lastly, survey data help fill the information gap inherent in reported data. The use of
survey research underscores the significance of having accurate information regarding the
efficacy of social programs and policies. Typical information sources such as reported crime data
often come with gaps such as unreported crimes (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime,
n.d.). This is because several crimes go unreported due to several factors. These gaps in data
introduce inconsistencies in how criminal justice policy s formulated. The practical implications
of these inconsistencies include gaps in service provision and investment in criminal justice
programs. Proactive surveys form a valuable tool that criminal justice professionals can use to
guide resource allocation to areas whose trends are not distinct from conventional data sources.
Furthermore, surveys can provide insights into the scope of satisfaction with the existing
criminal justice programs.
Survey research carries characteristics that closely mirror the Bible’s demand for justice.
Throughout both the Old and New testaments, the Bible makes a persistent call to justice,
particularly to the vulnerable in the community. For example, Psalms 82:3 (King James Version)
asks believers to “give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted
and the destitute.” Similarly, Isaiah 1:17 (King James Version) asks believers to “learn to do
good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, and please the widow’s
cause.” Overall, this mandate toward justice is closely aligned with the goals of survey research
methods. Specifically, survey research provides the means to respond to the needs of
underrepresented groups in society.
Respectfully,
Al
Reference
De Bondt,AW. (2015). SPOCs & surveys: A novel way of conducting comparative research into
criminal justice systems.ACrime Science,A4(1).Ahttps://doi.org/10.1186/s40163-015-0019-
4
Johnson, L. M., Elam, P., Lebold, S. M., & Burroughs, R. (2018). Use of research evidence by
criminal justice professionals.AJustice Policy Journal,A16(2), 1-23. Retrieved from
http://www.cjcj.org/uploads/cjcj/documents/use_of_research_evidence_by_criminal_just
ice_professionals_johnson.pdf
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (n.d.).ACrime prevention & criminal justice module
11 key issues: 4. Collecting victim data.Ahttps://www.unodc.org/e4j/en/crime-prevention-
criminal-justice/module-11/key-issues/4--collecting-victim-data.html
