Statistical Analysis in Criminal Justice and Criminology

Book excerpt: Statistical analysis is critical in criminal justice. Professionals in the field must be diligent producers of research to assist policy makers in evaluating program and policy proposals. The key to understanding statistical analysis is by applying the concepts, methodology, and statistical procedures taught in the classroom. Written for undergraduates with little or no background in statistics, the third edition of Statistical Analysis in Criminal Justice and Criminology continues to focus on students’ understanding of fundamental analysis. It is premised on active learning utilizing common statistical tools to analyze crime data, avoiding the comprehensive approach common to many statistics texts. Authors draw from longtime classroom experience to present complex theories in approachable ways. Exercises move from an initial step through the application of concepts explained in each chapter before insights on interpreting the results in a meaningful way is provided. New to this edition is the inclusion of both SPSS and Excel criminal justice data sets used to complete end-of-chapter exercises and analyses. This distinctive offering enables readers to develop their skills with the program most accessible to them.