Flow of Criminal Justice Statistical Information by Electronic Means

• NCJ Number: 172806
• Author(s): J Perez
• Date Published: 1996
• Length: 11 pages
• Agencies: BJS
• Publication Type: Survey

Annotation

A user survey was initiated by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) to explore the feasibility of providing criminal justice professionals access to BJS publications electronically.

Abstract

Specifically, the survey investigated user level of computerization, interest profiles, willingness to pay transmittal costs, and intended uses of data. Findings revealed customers used a variety of electronic means to meet their information requirements, including fax technology, computers, and online transmission. The capacity of users in terms of tax technology ranged from retrieving a file from a fax-on-demand system to fax modems. BJS users with computers reported on their software capabilities: operating systems (65 percent), word processors (56 percent), and electronic file format (43 percent). They preferred using electronic modes to retrieve complete searchable files. In general, the level of user computerization was directly related to his or her likelihood of having an Internet connection. Most online users preferred interacting with a system equipped with search capabilities, and one in three users downloaded files directly from the Internet. BJS users expressed an interest in publications of a general nature, but many users were also interested in specific topics such as drugs and crime. Three of four users said they read or archived BJS reports or further manipulated the statistical portion.