META-ANALYTIC DATABASE ON EFFECTIVENESS OF DELINQUENCY PROGRAMS: UPDATE, ANALYSIS, & DISSEMINATION

Project Summary for 2001-JN-FX-0008

This grant for the third year of the "Meta-analytic Database on the Effectiveness of Delinquency Programs: Update, Analysis and Dissemination". The first two years involved the identification and coding of eligible studies which involved research on interventions for juvenile offenders. The coding involves the review of the study and entering more than 150 data fields on each study.

Meta-analysis is a research methodology which involves combining the results of individual studies to generate a larger data set for analysis. The research methodology is inductive. It will allow the data which are available to be reviewed to generate hypotheses which are then tested rather than the deductive model which allows for the generation of hypotheses for which data are then collected and then used to test the hypotheses.

The data analysis is organized around specific types of interventions and specific juvenile populations. This will allow decision makers to review information about the effectiveness of different interventions and the populations which their specific program will be serving. This will be coupled with information about costs to provide an estimate about the cost effectiveness of the different interventions.

The objectives for this stage of the project are as follows:

1. Update the databases to include all eligible studies. This includes coding the studies.

Each year brings new studies which are included in the database. Adding to these is an ongoing process.

2. Conduct additional analysis in accordance with the recommendations of the advisory board.

The advisory board make specific recommendations on types of analysis which were felt to be needed in response to the field.

3. Develop a decision support methodology for supporting the selection of effective programs.

The field which will use the knowledge generated may lack in specific research and evaluation skills. In response to broadly framed questions, a web based site will be developed to guide the field to appropriate interventions of demonstrated effectiveness for specific populations.

4. Creation of "Best Practices" Guidelines for Implementation of Specific Programs

There is considerable ambiguity about the meaning of the term "best practices". This research will develop descriptions and guidelines for these best practices.

5. Generation of information for researchers and research sponsors

This area will be in response to specific analytical questions about the effectiveness of interventions which are posed by researchers and program developers about specific questions.

nca/ncf

This grant for the third year of the "Meta-analytic Database on the Effectiveness of Delinquency Programs: Update, Analysis and Dissemination". The first two years involved the identification and coding of eligible studies which involved research on interventions for juvenile offenders. The coding involves the review of the study and entering more than 150 data fields on each study.

Meta-analysis is a research methodology which involves combining the results of individual studies to generate a larger data set for analysis. The research methodology is inductive. It will allow the data which are available to be reviewed to generate hypotheses which are then tested rather than the deductive model which allows for the generation of hypotheses for which data are then collected and then used to test the hypotheses.

The data analysis is organized around specific types of interventions and specific juvenile populations. This will allow decision makers to review information about the effectiveness of different interventions and the populations which their specific program will be serving. This will be coupled with information about costs to provide an estimate about the cost effectiveness of the different interventions.

The objectives for this stage of the project are as follows:

1. Update the databases to include all eligible studies. This includes coding the studies.

Each year brings new studies which are included in the database. Adding to these is an ongoing process.

2. Conduct additional analysis in accordance with the recommendations of the advisory board.

The advisory board make specific recommendations on types of analysis which were felt to be needed in response to the field.

3. Develop a decision support methodology for supporting the selection of effective programs.

The field which will use the knowledge generated may lack in specific research and evaluation skills. In response to broadly framed questions, a web based site will be developed to guide the field to appropriate interventions of demonstrated effectiveness for specific populations.

4. Creation of "Best Practices" Guidelines for Implementation of Specific Programs

There is considerable ambiguity about the meaning of the term "best practices". This research will develop descriptions and guidelines for these best practices.

5. Generation of information for researchers and research sponsors

This area will be in response to specific analytical questions about the effectiveness of interventions which are posed by researchers and program developers about specific questions.

nca/ncf