NCJ Number
195742
Date Published
2001
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This article describes in detail the methodology of systematic reviews to investigate the effectiveness of interventions to prevent crime and criminal offending, and also several major challenges faced by the group conducting the study, the Campbell Collaboration Crime and Justice Group, including the criterion of methodological quality to be used for including studies.
Abstract
This article describes the aim of the Campbell Collaboration as making the best knowledge about the effectiveness of criminological interventions immediately available to scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and the general public. The Campbell Collaboration seeks to do this by using rigorous methods including explicit objectives and explicit criteria for locating, appraising for inclusion, and synthesizing evidence from prior evaluation studies. Major challenges to achieving these aims are addressed, such as setting methodological criteria for inclusion of studies in reviews, securing continued funding, academics who need publication in scholarly journals, and coping with a high volume of work needed to maintain high standards. Systematic reviews are defined as reviews that have explicit objectives and eligibility criteria to assure the following: a reduction of potential bias, screened according to specific eligibility criteria, contain an assembly of the most complete data possible, use of quantitative techniques as appropriate and possible, and a structured and detailed report. A historical overview of systematic reviews in criminology is given, along with an introduction to the creation of the Campbell Collaboration (with the Cochrane Collaboration as the model being followed). The history of the Campbell Collaboration Crime and Justice Coordinating Group (CJCG) is reviewed. The CJCG is described as having been formed to oversee the preparation, maintenance, and accessibility of systematic reviews of research on the effects of criminological and criminal justice interventions. A list of the requirements to be met by persons submitting systematic reviews to the Campbell Collaboration are enumerated. Some of the primary challenges to be met are identified as: criterion of methodological quality to be set for including evaluation studies in systematic reviews, such as external and internal validity of study; funding to cover not only personnel salaries but also the cost of reviews and conferences; production of publications to gain high priority by academics in their search for reviews; coordination of reviews with both the Campbell Collaboration and the Cochrane Collaboration; and coping with the high volume of work needed to maintain high quality. In conclusion, it is emphasized that systematic reviews of criminological interventions have enormous potential to advance knowledge and make policy and practice more effective in the future. References