X4L - SDiT (Survey Data in Teaching)

Investigating Crime

Introduction

Resources

Learning Modules
        Module 1
        Module 2
        Module 3
        Module 4
        Module 5
        Module 6

Glossary

Tutor Resources

Key Skills

Accessing Databases (NSDstat)

Accessing Databases (Other)

Acknowledgements

Introduction to Learning Modules

Module 1 Tracking Crime: Police Recorded Crime Figures, Trends and Reasons for Change

• You find out how crime is measured
• You find out what has been happening to crime rates
• You examine the effectiveness of different governments on crime
• You try to figure out what you would do

Module 2 Theories about Crime: Public Perceptions of Crime Rates

• There are different ways to record crime
• The official report says that although crime is really falling, the public think it is increasing
• Actually when we look at time graphs the position is complex
• A usual explanation is that the media create unnecessary worry
• There are other factors involved though, such as social class

Module 3 Gathering Evidence: How to investigate crime statistics

• You learn about devising measures for concepts
• You learn how to describe large sets of numbers using one or two numbers
• You learn how to make and interpret straightforward tables and graphs
• You learn how to use an undemanding data analysis program

Module 4 Examining Evidence: How to interrogate crime statistics

• You learn how to alter data
• You learn how to examine associations between two variables
• You learn how to present and analyse data in tables

Module 5 Searching for evidence: sources of crime data

• You get a tour of some of the resources available on the web, including
• UK Data Archive (UKDA)
• Social Science Information Gateway (SOSIG)
• You learn how to search for other data
• You get a long list of links to other useful sites

Module 6 Browsing and analysing evidence: a guide to using Nesstar

• You get an introduction to the online data system Nesstar
• You find out how to access and browse data using Nesstar
• You become familiar with the British Crime Survey dataset
• You learn how to produce tables and graphs online