Statistics in Criminal Justice - Hardcover

NEW AND REVISED THIRD EDITION

This book introduces basic statistics and statistical concepts, with each chapter building in sophistication to prepare for the concepts that follow. Emphasizing comprehension and interpretation over computation, the book still takes a serious approach to statistics, tailored to the real world of crime and justice. The updated and expanded 3rd edition includes additional chapter-end exercises; expanded computer exercises that can be performed in the Student Version of SPSS; extended discussion of multivariate regression models, including interaction and non-linear effects; a new chapter on multinomial and ordinal logistic regression models, designed for comprehension and interpretation; and new material on multivariate regression models.

"One course that students always put off until they are nearing the completion of their degree requirements is statistics. The fear is that the material is either too difficult or the book doesn't make sense. Although as teachers we can do little about the former, we can do much about the latter, and Weisburd and Britt have done just that. Statistics in Criminal Justice is precisely the book I wish I learned statistics with when I was a student. It presents readers with the basic tools needed to be a consumer and user of criminal justice research, includes many examples spanning a wide range of criminal justice/criminological topics, and the end-of-chapter study questions and computer exercises reinforce key concepts. To the authors' credit, this text goes even farther by introducing the reader to more advanced forms of regression-based analyses. As such, the book can and should be read by undergraduate students starting off in higher education, graduate students embarking on their academic careers, and even seasoned faculty who every now and again need to recall a formula or brush up on some matters. After reading Statistics in Criminal Justice, I am sure you will join me in thanking these two first-rate scholars for taking the time to teach us statistics in an enjoyable and effective manner."

-Alex R. Piquero, Presidential Scholar & Professor, University of Maryland-College Park

Statistics in Criminal Justice takes an approach that emphasizes the uses of statistics in research in crime and justice. This text is meant for students and professionals who want to gain a basic understanding of statistics in this field. The text takes a building-block approach, meaning that each chapter helps to prepare the student for the chapters that follow. It also means that the level of sophistication of the text increases as the text progresses. Throughout the text there is an emphasis on comprehension and interpretation, rather than computation. However, it takes a serious approach to statistics, which is relevant to the real world of research in crime and justice. This approach is meant to provide the reader with an accessible but sophisticated understanding of statistics that can be used to examine real-life criminal justice problems. The goal of the text is to give the student a basic understanding of statistics and statistical concepts that will leave the student with the confidence and the tools for tackling more complex problems on their own. Statistics in Criminal Justice is meant not only as an introduction for students but as a reference for researchers.

New to the 3rd Edition
A number of changes have been made to the 3rd edition, including the following:

• Additional exercises at the end of each chapter.
• Expanded computer exercises that can be performed in the Student Version of SPSS.
• Extended discussion of multivariate regression models, including interaction and non-linear effects.
• A new chapter on multinomial and ordinal logistic regression models, examined in a way that highlights comprehension and interpretation.
• With the additional material on multivariate regression models, the text is appropriate for both undergraduate and beginning graduate statistics courses in criminal justice.