Crim 1208: Agency Records, Content Analysis, & Secondary Data (Notes)
- All data discussed today does not require direct data collection by researchers who “own”
the study (e.g., do analyses and write it up); data collection/creation done by others
§ 1) Agency records – collect vast amount of crime and CJ data (3 subtypes)
§ A. Published statistics
§ B. Non-public agency records
§ C. New data collected by agency staff
§ 2) Content analysis – examines social artifacts (any recorded documents)
§ 3) Secondary analysis – analyzing research data collected by other researchers
1. Agency Records: a) Published statistics
- Government organizations routinely collect, publish compilations of data on crime
§ May be for research but often just information about crime
§ e.g., Stats Canada, BC Court Records
§ Often available online or in libraries
- Non-government organizations publish data as well
e.g., Global Terrorism Database
B) Non-public agency records
- Agencies also produce crim. data not routinely released; usually, for internal use (may
also be legally required)
§ e.g., Police departments, courthouses, corrections, forensic hospitals
§ Not necessarily non-public but not always accessible online
- Example from textbook: Cathy Spatz Widom (1989) - Child Abuse, Delinquency &
Adult Arrests
- Another example: study on trauma experienced by police and willingness to use force
c) New data collected
- Collected for specific research purposes
§ "Hybrid" source: Combines collection of new data by agency staff with day-to-
day agency activities
§ Example from textbook: collecting data on tourists to Florida who were victims of
crime
2. Content Analysis
- = study of recorded communications (web content, videos, photos, etc.)
- Units of analysis = social artifacts
§ Not created for research but can be analyzed
- All data discussed today does not require direct data collection by researchers who “own”
the study (e.g., do analyses and write it up); data collection/creation done by others
§ 1) Agency records – collect vast amount of crime and CJ data (3 subtypes)
§ A. Published statistics
§ B. Non-public agency records
§ C. New data collected by agency staff
§ 2) Content analysis – examines social artifacts (any recorded documents)
§ 3) Secondary analysis – analyzing research data collected by other researchers
1. Agency Records: a) Published statistics
- Government organizations routinely collect, publish compilations of data on crime
§ May be for research but often just information about crime
§ e.g., Stats Canada, BC Court Records
§ Often available online or in libraries
- Non-government organizations publish data as well
e.g., Global Terrorism Database
B) Non-public agency records
- Agencies also produce crim. data not routinely released; usually, for internal use (may
also be legally required)
§ e.g., Police departments, courthouses, corrections, forensic hospitals
§ Not necessarily non-public but not always accessible online
- Example from textbook: Cathy Spatz Widom (1989) - Child Abuse, Delinquency &
Adult Arrests
- Another example: study on trauma experienced by police and willingness to use force
c) New data collected
- Collected for specific research purposes
§ "Hybrid" source: Combines collection of new data by agency staff with day-to-
day agency activities
§ Example from textbook: collecting data on tourists to Florida who were victims of
crime
2. Content Analysis
- = study of recorded communications (web content, videos, photos, etc.)
- Units of analysis = social artifacts
§ Not created for research but can be analyzed
