Group-Based Modeling of Development

Group-Based Modeling of Development
Author: Daniel S. Nagin
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Total Pages: 214
Release: 2009-07-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0674041313
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This book provides a systematic exposition of a group-based statistical method for analyzing longitudinal data in the social and behavioral sciences and in medicine. The methods can be applied to a wide range of data, such as that describing the progression of delinquency and criminality over the life course, changes in income over time, the course of a disease or physiological condition, or the evolution of the socioeconomic status of communities. Using real-world research data from longitudinal studies, the book explains and applies this method for identifying distinctive time-based progressions called developmental trajectories. Rather than assuming the existence of developmental trajectories of a specific form before statistical data analysis begins, the method allows the trajectories to emerge from the data itself. Thus, in an analysis of data on Montreal school children, it teases apart four distinct trajectories of physical aggression over the ages 6 to 15, examines predictors of these trajectories, and identifies events that may alter the trajectories. Aimed at consumers of statistical methodology, including social scientists, criminologists, psychologists, and medical researchers, the book presents the statistical theory underlying the method with a mixture of intuition and technical development.

The Encyclopedia of Research Methods in Criminology and Criminal Justice, 2 Volume Set

The Encyclopedia of Research Methods in Criminology and Criminal Justice, 2 Volume Set
Author: J. C. Barnes
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 967
Release: 2021-09-08
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1119110726
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The Encyclopedia of RESEARCH METHODS IN CRIMINOLOGY & CRIMINAL JUSTICE The most comprehensive reference work on research designs and methods in criminology and criminal justice This Encyclopedia of Research Methods in Criminology and Criminal Justice offers a comprehensive survey of research methodologies and statistical techniques that are popular in criminology and criminal justice systems across the globe. With contributions from leading scholars and practitioners in the field, it offers a clear insight into the techniques that are currently in use to answer the pressing questions in criminology and criminal justice. The Encyclopedia contains essential information from a diverse pool of authors about research designs grounded in both qualitative and quantitative approaches. It includes information on popular datasets and leading resources of government statistics. In addition, the contributors cover a wide range of topics such as: the most current research on the link between guns and crime, rational choice theory, and the use of technology like geospatial mapping as a crime reduction tool. This invaluable reference work: Offers a comprehensive survey of international research designs, methods, and statistical techniques Includes contributions from leading figures in the field Contains data on criminology and criminal justice from Cambridge to Chicago Presents information on capital punishment, domestic violence, crime science, and much more Helps us to better understand, explain, and prevent crime Written for undergraduate students, graduate students, and researchers, The Encyclopedia of Research Methods in Criminology and Criminal Justice is the first reference work of its kind to offer a comprehensive review of this important topic.

Growth Modeling

Growth Modeling
Author: Kevin J. Grimm
Publisher: Guilford Publications
Total Pages: 558
Release: 2016-10-17
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1462526063
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Growth models are among the core methods for analyzing how and when people change. Discussing both structural equation and multilevel modeling approaches, this book leads readers step by step through applying each model to longitudinal data to answer particular research questions. It demonstrates cutting-edge ways to describe linear and nonlinear change patterns, examine within-person and between-person differences in change, study change in latent variables, identify leading and lagging indicators of change, evaluate co-occurring patterns of change across multiple variables, and more. User-friendly features include real data examples, code (for Mplus or NLMIXED in SAS, and OpenMx or nlme in R), discussion of the output, and interpretation of each model's results. User-Friendly Features *Real, worked-through longitudinal data examples serving as illustrations in each chapter. *Script boxes that provide code for fitting the models to example data and facilitate application to the reader's own data. *"Important Considerations" sections offering caveats, warnings, and recommendations for the use of specific models. *Companion website supplying datasets and syntax for the book's examples, along with additional code in SAS/R for linear mixed-effects modeling.

A Life Course Perspective on Health Trajectories and Transitions

A Life Course Perspective on Health Trajectories and Transitions
Author: Claudine Burton-Jeangros
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 215
Release: 2015-08-11
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 331920484X
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This open access book examines health trajectories and health transitions at different stages of the life course, including childhood, adulthood and later life. It provides findings that assess the role of biological and social transitions on health status over time. The essays examine a wide range of health issues, including the consequences of military service on body mass index, childhood obesity and cardiovascular health, socio-economic inequalities in preventive health care use, depression and anxiety during the child rearing period, health trajectories and transitions in people with cystic fibrosis and oral health over the life course. The book addresses theoretical, empirical and methodological issues as well as examines different national contexts, which help to identify factors of vulnerability and potential resources that support resilience available for specific groups and/or populations. Health reflects the ability of individuals to adapt to their social environment. This book analyzes health as a dynamic experience. It examines how different aspects of individual health unfold over time as a result of aging but also in relation to changing socioeconomic conditions. It also offers readers potential insights into public policies that affect the health status of a population.

Handbook of Quantitative Criminology

Handbook of Quantitative Criminology
Author: Alex R. Piquero
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 787
Release: 2009-12-16
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0387776508
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Quantitative criminology has certainly come a long way since I was ?rst introduced to a largely qualitative criminology some 40 years ago, when I was recruited to lead a task force on science and technology for the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice. At that time, criminology was a very limited activity, depending almost exclusively on the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) initiated by the FBI in 1929 for measurement of crime based on victim reports to the police and on police arrests. A ty- cal mode of analysis was simple bivariate correlation. Marvin Wolfgang and colleagues were makingan importantadvancebytrackinglongitudinaldata onarrestsin Philadelphia,an in- vation that was widely appreciated. And the ?eld was very small: I remember attending my ?rst meeting of the American Society of Criminology in about 1968 in an anteroom at New York University; there were about 25–30 people in attendance, mostly sociologists with a few lawyers thrown in. That Society today has over 3,000 members, mostly now drawn from criminology which has established its own clear identity, but augmented by a wide variety of disciplines that include statisticians, economists, demographers, and even a few engineers. This Handbook provides a remarkable testimony to the growth of that ?eld. Following the maxim that “if you can’t measure it, you can’t understand it,” we have seen the early dissatisfaction with the UCR replaced by a wide variety of new approaches to measuring crime victimization and offending.

Methods and Applications of Longitudinal Data Analysis

Methods and Applications of Longitudinal Data Analysis
Author: Xian Liu
Publisher: Elsevier
Total Pages: 531
Release: 2015-09-01
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 0128014822
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Methods and Applications of Longitudinal Data Analysis describes methods for the analysis of longitudinal data in the medical, biological and behavioral sciences. It introduces basic concepts and functions including a variety of regression models, and their practical applications across many areas of research. Statistical procedures featured within the text include: descriptive methods for delineating trends over time linear mixed regression models with both fixed and random effects covariance pattern models on correlated errors generalized estimating equations nonlinear regression models for categorical repeated measurements techniques for analyzing longitudinal data with non-ignorable missing observations Emphasis is given to applications of these methods, using substantial empirical illustrations, designed to help users of statistics better analyze and understand longitudinal data. Methods and Applications of Longitudinal Data Analysis equips both graduate students and professionals to confidently apply longitudinal data analysis to their particular discipline. It also provides a valuable reference source for applied statisticians, demographers and other quantitative methodologists. From novice to professional: this book starts with the introduction of basic models and ends with the description of some of the most advanced models in longitudinal data analysis Enables students to select the correct statistical methods to apply to their longitudinal data and avoid the pitfalls associated with incorrect selection Identifies the limitations of classical repeated measures models and describes newly developed techniques, along with real-world examples.

Community Based System Dynamics

Community Based System Dynamics
Author: Peter S. Hovmand
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 117
Release: 2013-11-09
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1461487633
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Community Based System Dynamics introduces researchers and practitioners to the design and application of participatory systems modeling with diverse communities. The book bridges community- based participatory research methods and rigorous computational modeling approaches to understanding communities as complex systems. It emphasizes the importance of community involvement both to understand the underlying system and to aid in implementation. Comprehensive in its scope, the volume includes topics that span the entire process of participatory systems modeling, from the initial engagement and conceptualization of community issues to model building, analysis, and project evaluation. Community Based System Dynamics is a highly valuable resource for anyone interested in helping to advance social justice using system dynamics, community involvement, and group model building, and helping to make communities a better place.

Individual-based Modeling and Ecology

Individual-based Modeling and Ecology
Author: Volker Grimm
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 445
Release: 2013-11-28
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1400850622
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Individual-based models are an exciting and widely used new tool for ecology. These computational models allow scientists to explore the mechanisms through which population and ecosystem ecology arises from how individuals interact with each other and their environment. This book provides the first in-depth treatment of individual-based modeling and its use to develop theoretical understanding of how ecological systems work, an approach the authors call "individual-based ecology.? Grimm and Railsback start with a general primer on modeling: how to design models that are as simple as possible while still allowing specific problems to be solved, and how to move efficiently through a cycle of pattern-oriented model design, implementation, and analysis. Next, they address the problems of theory and conceptual framework for individual-based ecology: What is "theory"? That is, how do we develop reusable models of how system dynamics arise from characteristics of individuals? What conceptual framework do we use when the classical differential equation framework no longer applies? An extensive review illustrates the ecological problems that have been addressed with individual-based models. The authors then identify how the mechanics of building and using individual-based models differ from those of traditional science, and provide guidance on formulating, programming, and analyzing models. This book will be helpful to ecologists interested in modeling, and to other scientists interested in agent-based modeling.

Impact Evaluation in Practice, Second Edition

Impact Evaluation in Practice, Second Edition
Author: Paul J. Gertler
Publisher: World Bank Publications
Total Pages: 444
Release: 2016-09-12
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1464807809
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The second edition of the Impact Evaluation in Practice handbook is a comprehensive and accessible introduction to impact evaluation for policy makers and development practitioners. First published in 2011, it has been used widely across the development and academic communities. The book incorporates real-world examples to present practical guidelines for designing and implementing impact evaluations. Readers will gain an understanding of impact evaluations and the best ways to use them to design evidence-based policies and programs. The updated version covers the newest techniques for evaluating programs and includes state-of-the-art implementation advice, as well as an expanded set of examples and case studies that draw on recent development challenges. It also includes new material on research ethics and partnerships to conduct impact evaluation. The handbook is divided into four sections: Part One discusses what to evaluate and why; Part Two presents the main impact evaluation methods; Part Three addresses how to manage impact evaluations; Part Four reviews impact evaluation sampling and data collection. Case studies illustrate different applications of impact evaluations. The book links to complementary instructional material available online, including an applied case as well as questions and answers. The updated second edition will be a valuable resource for the international development community, universities, and policy makers looking to build better evidence around what works in development.

Agent-Based Modelling for Criminological Theory Testing and Development

Agent-Based Modelling for Criminological Theory Testing and Development
Author: Henk Elffers
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 190
Release: 2020-11-30
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 100028705X
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Agent-Based Modelling for Criminological Theory Testing and Development addresses the question whether and how we can use simulation methods in order to test criminological theories, and if they fail to be corroborated, how we can use simulation to mend and further develop theories. It is by no means immediately obvious how results being observed in an artificial environment have any relevance for what is going on in the real world. By using the concept of a "stylized fact," the contributors bridge the gap between artificial and real world. With backgrounds in criminology or artificial intelligence (AI), these contributors present agent-based model studies that test aspects of various theories, including crime pattern theory, guardianship in action theory, near repeat theory, routine activity theory, and general deterrence theory. All six simulation models presented have been specially developed for the book. Contributors have specified the theory, identified stylized facts, developed an agent-based simulation model, let it run, and interpreted whether the chosen stylized fact is occurring in their model, and what we should conclude from congruence or incongruence between simulation and expectations based on the theory under scrutiny. The final chapter discusses what can be learnt from these six enterprises. The book will be of great interest to scholars of criminology (in particular computational criminologists and theoretical criminologists) and AI (with an emphasis on AI for generative social processes), and more widely researchers in social science in general. It will also be valuable for master's courses in quantitative criminology.