IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/evarev/v42y2018i3p358-385.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Overcoming the Challenges of Experimental Research: Lessons From a Criminal Justice Case Study Involving TASER Exposure

Author

Listed:
  • Natalie Todak
  • Michael D. White
  • Lisa M. Dario
  • Andrea R. Borrego

Abstract

Objective: To provide guidance to criminologists for conducting experiments in light of two common discouraging factors: the belief that they are overly time-consuming and the belief that they can compromise the ethical principles of human subjects’ research. Method: A case study approach is used, based on a large-scale randomized controlled trial experiment in which we exposed participants to a 5-s TASER shock, to describe how the authors overcame ethical, methodological, and logistical difficulties. Results: We derive four pieces of advice from our experiences carrying out this experimental trial: (1) know your limitations, (2) employ pilot testing, (3) remain flexible and patient, and (4) “hold the line†to maintain the integrity of the research and the safety of human subjects. Conclusions: Criminologists have an obligation to provide the best possible evidence regarding the impact and consequences of criminal justice practices and programs. Experiments, considered by many to be the gold standard of empirical research methodologies, should be used whenever possible in order to fulfill this obligation.

Suggested Citation

  • Natalie Todak & Michael D. White & Lisa M. Dario & Andrea R. Borrego, 2018. "Overcoming the Challenges of Experimental Research: Lessons From a Criminal Justice Case Study Involving TASER Exposure," Evaluation Review, , vol. 42(3), pages 358-385, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:evarev:v:42:y:2018:i:3:p:358-385
    DOI: 10.1177/0193841X18803205
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0193841X18803205
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/0193841X18803205?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. N/A, 1998. "Research in Progress," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 51(3), pages 547-549, April.
    2. N/A, 1998. "Research in Progress," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 51(4), pages 722-723, July.
    3. Larson, Richard C., 1975. "What happened to patrol operations in Kansas city? A review of the Kansas city preventive patrol experiment," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 267-297.
    4. N/A, 1998. "Research in Progress," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 52(1), pages 153-154, October.
    5. Imbens,Guido W. & Rubin,Donald B., 2015. "Causal Inference for Statistics, Social, and Biomedical Sciences," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521885881, October.
    6. Jennings, Wesley G. & Lynch, Mathew D. & Fridell, Lorie A., 2015. "Evaluating the impact of police officer body-worn cameras (BWCs) on response-to-resistance and serious external complaints: Evidence from the Orlando police department (OPD) experience utilizing a ran," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 43(6), pages 480-486.
    7. N/A, 1998. "Research in Progress," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 51(2), pages 346-350, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gianluca Misuraca & Clelia Colombo & Csaba Kucsera & Stephanie Carretero & Margherita Bacigalupo & Raluca Radescu, 2015. "ICT-enabled Social Innovation in support of the Implementation of the Social Investment Package (IESI) - Mapping and Analysis of ICT-enabled Social Innovation Initiatives promoting Social Investment t," JRC Research Reports JRC97467, Joint Research Centre.
    2. Mahdavi, Mahdi & Malmström, Tomi & van de Klundert, Joris & Elkhuizen, Sylvia & Vissers, Jan, 2013. "Generic operational models in health service operations management: A systematic review," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 47(4), pages 271-280.
    3. Barberi, Paolo, 2015. "Functional Biodiversity in Organic Systems: The Way Forward?," Sustainable Agriculture Research, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 4(3 Special).
    4. Isabel Iglesias & María N Lorenzo & Juan J Taboada, 2014. "Seasonal Predictability of the East Atlantic Pattern from Sea Surface Temperatures," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(1), pages 1-8, January.
    5. Nawaz, I. & Tiwari, G.N., 2006. "Embodied energy analysis of photovoltaic (PV) system based on macro- and micro-level," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(17), pages 3144-3152, November.
    6. Sharma, Rakhi & Tiwari, G.N., 2013. "Life cycle assessment of stand-alone photovoltaic (SAPV) system under on-field conditions of New Delhi, India," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 272-282.
    7. Pavlatos, Odysseas & Paggios, Ioannis, 2007. "Cost Accounting In Greek Hotel Enterprises: An Empirical Approach," MPRA Paper 6364, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Alicia Meckstroth & LaDonna Pavetti & Michelle K. Derr, "undated". "Implementing Welfare Reform in Nebraska: Accomplishments, Challenges, and Opportunities for Improvement," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 1597429212e348bcb03d9a3a0, Mathematica Policy Research.
    9. repec:mpr:mprres:2422 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. P. Barnwal & G. N. Tiwari, 2008. "Life cycle energy metrics and CO 2 credit analysis of a hybrid photovoltaic/thermal greenhouse dryer," International Journal of Low-Carbon Technologies, Oxford University Press, vol. 3(3), pages 203-220, July.
    11. Shukla, Ashish & Tiwari, G.N. & Sodha, M.S., 2009. "Embodied energy analysis of adobe house," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 755-761.
    12. Dimitris Bertsimas & Agni Orfanoudaki & Rory B. Weiner, 2020. "Personalized treatment for coronary artery disease patients: a machine learning approach," Health Care Management Science, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 482-506, December.
    13. Clément de Chaisemartin & Jaime Ramirez-Cuellar, 2024. "At What Level Should One Cluster Standard Errors in Paired and Small-Strata Experiments?," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 16(1), pages 193-212, January.
    14. Clément de Chaisemartin & Luc Behaghel, 2020. "Estimating the Effect of Treatments Allocated by Randomized Waiting Lists," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 88(4), pages 1453-1477, July.
    15. Bruno Ferman & Cristine Pinto & Vitor Possebom, 2020. "Cherry Picking with Synthetic Controls," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(2), pages 510-532, March.
    16. Peydró, José-Luis & Jiménez, Gabriel & Kenan, Huremovic & Moral-Benito, Enrique & Vega-Redondo, Fernando, 2020. "Production and financial networks in interplay: Crisis evidence from supplier-customer and credit registers," CEPR Discussion Papers 15277, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    17. Marie Bjørneby & Annette Alstadsæter & Kjetil Telle, 2018. "Collusive tax evasion by employers and employees. Evidence from a randomized fi eld experiment in Norway," Discussion Papers 891, Statistics Norway, Research Department.
    18. Davide Viviano & Jelena Bradic, 2019. "Synthetic learner: model-free inference on treatments over time," Papers 1904.01490, arXiv.org, revised Aug 2022.
    19. Chenchuan (Mark) Li & Ulrich K. Müller, 2021. "Linear regression with many controls of limited explanatory power," Quantitative Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 12(2), pages 405-442, May.
    20. Jeon, Sung-Hee & Pohl, R. Vincent, 2019. "Medical innovation, education, and labor market outcomes of cancer patients," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    21. Johnsen, Åshild A. & Kvaløy, Ola, 2021. "Conspiracy against the public - An experiment on collusion11“People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the publ," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 94(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:evarev:v:42:y:2018:i:3:p:358-385. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.