The Mismeasure of Crime
- Clayton J. Mosher - Washington State University Vancouver
- Terance D. Miethe - University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA
- Timothy C. Hart - University of Tampa, USA
A unique look at the problems in measuring crime both historically and internationally
Filled with real world examples derived from media reports on crime trends and other sources, this fully updated Second Edition analyzes the specific errors that can occur in the three most common methods used to report crime—official crime data, self report, and victimization studies. For each method, the authors examine strengths and weaknesses, the fundamental issues surrounding accuracy, and the method's application to theoretical and policy research. Throughout the book, the authors demonstrate the factors that underlie crime data and illustrate the fundamental links between theory, policy, and data measurement.
Well rounded and easy to read.
Very easy to read and understand.
meets requirements of class
An excellent book for students which looks at official data, self report, and victimization studies. How the collected data is analyzed and used, and how through human error crime can often be 'mismeasured'.
I'm only not adopting this text because it would be better suited to a Methods Course. It has great coverage of the issues and processes of data collection, analysis and interpretation. It puts first and foremost the requirement that students recognize that data is problematic and how to deal with issues of reliability and validity, where to find data and how to constructively explore the problematics of crime data and statistics.
Sage College Publishing
