Chapter 13: Making Your Research Relevant

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. The research conducted by Santos ______.

a. provided insight into the important role that reporting victimization to the police plays in whether the victim seeks assistance

b. provided a greater understanding about how female officers deal with being an undercover prostitute

c. increased our understanding about how to police high-risk offenders, and demonstrated a need to continue studying intensive policing

d. offered insight into how police interactions differ for white and black youth living in similar communities

2. The principles, rules, and laws guiding a government, organization, or people are called ______.

a. policies

b. relationships

c. regulations

d. problems

3. Which of the following terms identifies issue and scope?

a. policy

b. procedures

c. regulations

d. guidelines

4. Which of the following terms establishes proper steps to take to accomplish a policy?

a. policy

b. procedures

c. regulations

d. guidelines

5. Policy makers at the state and local level include the following with the exception of ______.

a. city council members

b. members of school boards

c. individuals leading bureaus in the executive branch

d. mayors

6. Policy makers at the federal level include all of following with the exception of ______.

a. members of Congress

b. mayors

c. homeland security directors

d. individuals leading bureaus in the executive branch

7. The policy makers in Santos’ research were ______.

a. mayors

b. city council members

c. local police chiefs

d. state governors

8. Interacting and developing relationships with influential individuals and exchanging information to help achieve ones goal is called ______.

a. networking

b. regulating

c. looping

d. recommending

9. Challenges of getting policy relevant research to policy makers include the following, with the exception of ______.

a. relationship and communication barriers

b. competing sources of influence

c. non-accessible presentation of research

d. lack of proper knowledge pertaining to the research

10. The following are characteristics of effective communication with the exception of ______.

a. make the message clear

b. avoid using jargon

c. be as technically detailed possible

d. create an attractive and inviting policy brief

11. The following are recommended elements of good policy briefs with the exception of ______.

a. the document must be five to six pages

b. figures representing findings must be useful

c. the document must be jargon-free

d. the document must simplify and clarify the research

12. Policy briefs contain the following sections with the exception of ______.

a. works cited

b. results

c. introduction

d. conclusion

13. When policy briefs contain technical information, the inclusion of ______ explains that information.

a. abstracts

b. appendices

c. works cited

d. glossaries

14. The following are competing sources of influence with the exception of ______.

a. media

b. fear

c. budgets

d. ethics

15. A media tactic in which a specific crime or violent event is repeatedly exposed is called ______.

a. networking

b. communicating

c. regulating

d. looping

16. A group of individuals working together to help influence public opinion and policy makers about specific criminal justice issues is called a(n) ______.

a. network

b. advocacy group

c. research team

d. student union

17. A set of ideas shaping ones economic, political, or social view of how the world functions is called ______.

a. ideology

b. ethics

c. religion

d. opinions

18. Which of the following illustrates the proper order of the policy process or policy cycle model?

a. policy adoption, agenda setting, policy formulation, policy implementation, policy evaluation

b. policy formulation, agenda setting, policy adoption, policy implementation, policy evaluation

c. agenda setting, policy formulation, policy adoption, policy implementation, policy evaluation

d. policy implementation, policy formulation, agenda setting, , policy adoption, policy evaluation

19. Which of the following is considered to the first stage of the policy process?

a. agenda setting

b. implementation

c. adoption

d. evaluation

20. ______ occurs when the public brings demands about an issue to policy maker’s attention.

a. Formulation

b. Evaluation

c. Implementation

d. Agenda setting

21. Which of the following policy process stages includes the design of multiple approaches, policies, or programs to address the problem of interest?

a. formulation

b. evaluation

c. implementation

d. agenda setting

22. The ______ stage requires compromise among policy makers and other parties in order to select the final policy that will be either adopted or rejected by the appropriate governing body.

a. policy evaluation

b. agenda setting

c. policy implementation

d. policy formulation

23. Which of the following policy process stages officially legitimizes the policy?

a. policy evaluation

b. policy adoption

c. policy implementation

d. policy formulation

24. The policy ______ is responsible for operationalizing the policy.

a. evaluation

b. adoption

c. implementation

d. formulation

25. Which of the following policy process stages includes drafting specific procedures, regulations, rules, and guidance that individuals tasked with carrying out the policy will follow?

a. policy adoption

b. policy evaluation

c. policy implementation

d. policy formulation

26. Which of the following policy process stages includes activities designed to determine if a policy and its associated programs are addressing the problems it was intended to address?

a. policy adoption

b. policy evaluation

c. policy implementation

d. policy formulation

27. Findings from which of the following policy process stages provides feedback needed to help improve a policy over time?

a. policy adoption

b. policy implementation

c. policy formulation

d. policy evaluation

28. A formative evaluation is influential during which of the following stage of policy process?

a. policy adoption

b. policy implementation

c. policy formulation

d. policy evaluation

29. A literature review or meta-analysis is valuable in which of the following stage of policy process?

a. policy evaluation

b. policy formulation

c. policy adoption

d. policy implementation

30. A summative evaluation provides essential evaluative information in which of the following stages of policy process?

a. policy evaluation

b. policy formulation

c. policy adoption

d. policy implementation

31. A needs assessment can be conducted during which of the following policy process stages?

a. policy evaluation

b. policy formulation

c. policy adoption

d. agenda setting

32. Which of the following sections of a policy brief states the overall purpose and findings of the policy brief for policy makers?

a. introduction

b. approach and results

c. conclusion

d. executive summary

33. Which of the following sections of a policy brief clearly addresses why the research is important?

a. introduction

b. approach and results

c. conclusion

d. executive summary

34. Which of the following sections of a policy brief identifies the research methods used to collect the data?

a. executive summary

b. introduction

c. approach and results

d. conclusion

35. Researchers should ensure that their ideas are balanced and defensible in the ______ section of a policy brief.

a. approach and results

b. implications and recommendations

c. introduction

d. conclusions

36. Which of the following sections of a policy brief identifies what could happen and what should happen?

a. approach and results

b. executive summary

c. implications and recommendations

d. conclusions

37. Which of the following competing sources of influence relies on advertising?

a. advocacy and interest groups

b. budgets

c. media

d. fear

38. Which of the following competing sources of influence often drives public opinion of what policy makers should focus on?

a. advocacy and interest groups

b. budgets

c. media

d. fear

39. A competing source of influence whose goal is affecting policy makers and ultimately policy is ______.

a. fear

b. budgets

c. interest groups

d. media

40. The following were identified as ways a researcher can maximize the possibility that their research will receive attention with the exception of ______.

a. plan to be policy relevant from the start

b. develop and maintain relationships with policy makers

c. ensure that you have an appropriate amount of funding before you begin your research

d. translate your research

41. In order to convince policy makers to take policy relevant research seriously, establishing ______ is necessary.

a. regulations

b. relationships

c. procedures

d. rules

42. ______ is/are necessary to maximize the chances your research will become policy relevant.

a. Networking

b. Regulations

c. Looping

d. Guidelines

43. The following are common pitfalls of producing policy relevant research with the exception of ______.

a. producing research that is not policy relevant

b. failing to recognize how your research is relevant

c. not acquiring enough funding to continue the project

d. failure to know relevant policy makers

44. In order to get support for policy relevant research, researchers should establish ______ with policy makers.

a. rules

b. relationships

c. friendly competitiveness

d. recommendations

45. The following are examples of ways in which researchers can translate their research for policy makers and other non-scientific audiences with the exception of ______.

a. attending or a host a policy forum

b. advising policy makers to seek out the research

c. producing a regularly published newsletter

d. writing a policy brief

1. Policies directly influence all of our lives in many ways on a daily basis.

2. The three-strikes policy is an example of a controversial policy.

3. Policies are the same across every jurisdiction.

4. Policies that affect our lives are not always influenced by the best research available.

5. Policy relevant research is research on a policy, and not research that directly affects or influences policy.

6. Individuals in positions with the authority to decide the principles, rules, and laws guiding a government, organization, or people are referred to as policy makers.

7. Policy makers only exist at the federal level.

8. Attorney generals are not typically policy makers.

9. Members of school boards are examples of policy makers.

10. Researchers commonly make the error of having no communication with policy makers.

11. The researcher’s task is to make research to create new policies relevant to policy makers.

12. Researchers must be clear and concise when communicating with policy makers.

13. Policy briefs intended for policy makers must clearly state the problem addressed, the current existing knowledge, and what gap is addressed.

14. Policy briefs benefit from having photos, figures, or charts.

15. The policy process is a summary or model of the five stages of making policies and putting them into action

16. Contrary to popular belief, the policy process is a continuous loop.

17. Policies are often adopted in the form of a law.

18. The executive summary subsection of a policy brief is best described using precise steps that are relevant, credible, and feasible.

19. The National Rifle Association is an example of an interest group.

20. Advocacy groups provide information about how much money can be spent and what other available resources can utilized in any given period of time.

21. It is recommended that researchers plan to be policy relevant once they have completed their research.

22. Policy makers usually seek out and find research that they are interested in.

23. Attending or hosting a policy forum can help researchers maximize their chances of producing policy relevant research.

24. Establishing a relationship with a policy maker is usually done on a one-on-one basis.

25. Explanatory research is ideal for policy relevant research because it clarifies complex relationships associated with issues and can provide new ideas.

1. What is policy relevant research?

2. Identify the various purposes of policy relevant research.

3. Define public policy.

4. What is the goal of policy briefs?

5. Identify the five primary sections of a policy brief.

6. Identify the three ways in which researchers can maximize the visibility of their research?

7. In relation to creating policy design and implementation, and gaining support of policy makers, what do budgets do?

8. Define looping as used by the media.

9. What is an advocacy group?

10. Define ideology, and how is ideology relevant in the challenges of getting research to policy makers?

1. Why does research matter?

2. Identify an example of a criminal justice policy. What is the policy? Does it vary across jurisdictions? Is it controversial? Why or why not?

3. Identify a local or state level policy maker. What policies have they pushed forward? To your knowledge, were they successful?

4. What is networking and how can it benefit researchers?

5. Identify and discuss the competing sources of influence. How do these sources impact the creation and implementation of policy?