Overview
This essay describes the benefits and uses of data visualization. It provides an overview of its history, from the pioneering work of William Playfair to the more recent Web-based activity.
Introduction
Among the many attributes of the criminal justice system, one that stands out is the sheer quantity of data it generates. Since Western governments do not (generally) have secret arrests, trials, or imprisonments, almost every transaction is recorded in some database, most of which are computerized – and large. And these databases, although subject to restrictions on privacy and confidentiality, are (generally) open to public – and researcher – scrutiny and analysis.
Analyzing these data sets can be very useful, to look for patterns in offender and offending characteristics and to determine the effect of different policies on outcomes. As the criminal justice system focuses more and more on “evidence-based” policies, developing practical methods of analyzing these large data...
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Maltz, M.D. (2014). Visualizing Data: A Brief History. In: Bruinsma, G., Weisburd, D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5690-2_647
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5690-2_647
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