Exam 11: Section 2: Evaluation Research and Problem Analysis Glossary

Evaluation research and problem analysis play a significant role in program development and policy making since criminal justice agencies are expected to _____ of their actions. If traditional approaches to probation supervision, for example, do not deter future law-breaking, new approaches should be developed and their effectiveness assessed.

Outcome measures are not the same as program goals. They are derived from goals, Program goals represent desired outcomes, whereas _____ of whether those desired outcomes are achieved. Identifying program goals and objectives results in a conceptual definition.

An evaluability assessment is a "pre-evaluation," in which a researcher determines whether conditions necessary for conducting an evaluation are present. One obvious condition is _____ that will be evaluated.

Policy outputs refer to what is actually produced, in much the same manner that a manufacturer of office supplies produces paper clips and staples. For example, the prosecutor's policy produces the routine review of sentence recommendations in drug cases or a selective traffic enforcement program intended to reduce auto accidents on a particular roadway may produce a _____ together with traffic citations for speeding.

Random assignment of subjects is often impossible in criminal justice evaluations. Rather than forgo evaluation altogether in such instances, it is usually possible to create and execute research designs that will permit evaluation of the program using quasi-experiments design. Quasi experiments design uses _____ to the experimental and control group.

The policy process begins with a demand that normally appears as support for a new course of action or opposition to existing policy. Such demands can emerge from _____ sources. For example, widely publicized cases of racial discrimination in drug sentencing eventually led to the revision of federal sentencing guidelines for drug offenses.

Problem analysis is another type of evaluation research. It helps public officials plan and select alternative actions. Not all types of designs, measures, and data collection techniques can be used in evaluation research and problem analysis.

Specifying program goals is a fundamental first step in conducting evaluation Studies. If officials are not certain about _____, it is not possible to determine whether goals are reached. If different stakeholders embrace different goals, evaluators must specify different ways to assess those goals.

Policies are formulated to produce an effect or impact. In this sense, a policy can be Viewed as a hypothesis in which _____ is expected to produce change in a dependent variable.

Problem analysis is another type of evaluation research. It helps public officials plan and select alternative actions. Almost all types of designs, measures, and data collection techniques can be used in _____ and problem analysis.

Increased federal requirements for program evaluations to accompany the implementation of new programs, and the availability of research funds to meet that requirement are some of the main reasons for the growth of _____ research. However, increased interest in program evaluation and problem analysis has followed heightened concern for the accountability of public officials and public policy.

Program evaluation is different from problem analysis. Program evaluation is the process that seeks to link the _____ of criminal justice policy to empirical evidence that policies are being carried out as planned and are having the desired effects.

Evaluation research does not play any significant role in program development and policy making.

Evaluation research-sometimes called program evaluation-refers to a research purpose rather than a specific research method. Its special purpose is to evaluate the effects of policies.

A growing number of law enforcement agencies are using computerized crime maps to _____. Producing computer-generated maps that display reported crimes within days after they have occurred is one of the most important policy planning tools for the New York City Police Department.

Treatment integrity or treatment consistency refers to whether an experimental intervention is delivered as intended. It is almost equivalent to _____. Experimental designs in applied studies often suffer from problems related to treatment inconsistencies.

Justice agencies have come to rely more on evidence-based policy, in which the actions of justice agencies are linked to evidence used for planning and evaluation.

Increased federal requirements for program evaluations to accompany the implementation of new programs, and the availability of research funds to meet that requirement are some of the main reasons for the growth of evaluation research.

Evaluation research entails special logistical, ethical, and political problems because it is Embedded in the day-to-day events of _____. Although some ethical norms have political aspects-for example, not harming subjects relates to protection of civil liberties-no one has developed a set of political norms that can be agreed on by all criminal justice researchers.