Guerette, Rob T. (2007).

“Immigration Policy, Border Security and Migrant Deaths: An Impact Evaluation

of Life Saving Efforts under the Border Safety Initiative.”

Criminology & Public Policy, 6(2): 201-222. This is a quantitative research as it is based upon the use and
analysis of numbers. The type of research design used is descriptive as it involves investigating variables
of interest and conducting trend analysis. There is bias observed in this study in which there is the
problem of non-randomness. The study was unbalanced as the treatment group is composed of one
area, the control has three areas whereas the buffer is composed of four areas. Qualitative type of data
was collected from the treatment, control, and buffer areas of study. The type of data used in this study
was made up of both dependent variables and independent variables. The source of data was reliable
because it could be verified by the reader. In addition the data could also be compared with other data
for verification. The dependent variables used were data obtained from the frequency of individual
migrant deaths which had been gathered from multiple sources. Independent variables on the other
hand include undocumented migrant flows, mechanisms of BSI interventions, and demographic and
other situational variables.

The sampling procedure employed involved drawing the control area from El Centro followed by
designating the buffer areas which were used to determine the displacement of benefit while rates were
averaged to produce individual composite measure of the death rate in the control area. The sampling
procedure was appropriate for this study since adequate sample was gathered. In addition the sampling
procedure followed the basic tradition of carrying out a research. Dependent variable of the study
included data gathered from multiple sources. These sources include: state and national vital
registration and BSI tracking system. The dependent variable was used to evaluate the impact of BSI.
These dependent variables enhanced the results of the research as they were directly related to the
study. They enhanced the rigor of the research hence the results obtained could be trusted because
they were worthwhile.

The key findings of the study include two assessments namely; aggregate assessment and borstar
assessment. In aggregate assessment, the rates of migrant deaths before implementation of the BSI
program was declining after the 1988 peak up to 1998 when BSI was implemented. There are a lot of
differences in the trend of lines of pre- and post-periods. The pre-time period has a negative slope while
the post- BSI period possesses a positive slope. The aggregate assessment found that, by accepting
apprehensions as a proxy measure of border activity then BSI has not reduced the overall migrant
deaths. Borstar assessment found a significant reduction of deaths when a BORSTAR agent responds to
a distressed migrant. The findings of the research can be trusted since the source of data was reliable. In
addition the research followed the basic tradition of carrying out a research. This research has a number
of limitations which include: the current policy and practice have been dismantled and disaggregation of
migrant deaths by month would result into faulty interpretation of data leading to ineffectiveness. This
would threaten validity of the findings. Identifying border patrol efforts as the specific cause for any lives
saved would be hard due to the several other groups being active in campaign for saving life along the
border. This would threaten the reliability of the results.

D’Alessio, S; Stolzenberg, L., and Terry, W. Clinton III (1999). “Eyes on the Street”:

The Impact of Tennessee’s Emergency Cellular Telephone Program on Alcohol-related

Fatal Crashes.” Crime and Delinquency, 45(4): 453- 466. The type of research design employed in this
research report is causal design. This is because the problem being addressed by the research studies
the accidents that lead to deaths and injuries as a result of driving when driving. The researcher is
assessing if an emergency cellular telephone program that had been established could help in reducing
the cases of drunkardness in highways. A multiple time-series research design has been used in this
study. The multiple time series research design is proper for non-experimental studies such as this
causal study. The cellular telephone program employed use of cell phones to contact the police
regarding the drivers driving under the influence of alcohol. The research design was appropriate for this
kind of study as passengers are the only ones who can help to control or end the highway accidents due
to drunkardness by reporting to the police who in turn arrest the involved party.

The kind of data used for the research is longitudinal data obtained from Tennessee’s fatality analysis
reporting system. This reporting system possesses a database that has all fatal accidents that happen in
the United States. The longitudinal type of data used for this study is reliable and valid. This is because
the source of the data is verifiable in addition to being rich due to the many cases that are reported
hence the researcher is able to collect sufficient data. The data is sufficient and seems appropriate for
the study thereby enhancing the rigor of the research. The sampling procedure employed in this study
involved the use of cellular phones to report those involved in driving under the influence of alcohol.
The participants were issued cell phones for reporting those they identify driving recklessly. Numbered
signs were also used to mark the roads so as to help motorists locate their exact location. The cellular
users could call the police who could either follow the case or call the nearby agency. The sampling
procedure was simple and proper for the study although there was a possibility of bias.

In analyzing the study, two dependent variables were employed. These two variables include: the high-
way alcohol-related fatal crash rate which operationalized as a percentage of the monthly interstates
fatal clashes and the second dependent variable was the non alcohol-related fatal crash rate. The
second variable was taken as the monthly percentage of all fatal accidents occurring in municipal roads
and involving single vehicles in addition the accident has to happen between 8 pm and 8 am. The major
findings of the research revealed a 2.5 % decrease in the fatal road accidents on the roads serviced by
the program. On the roads where the program was implemented, there was no significant change in the
number of accidents observed. The cellular method used for the study promise road safety in addition
to being efficient since the procedure is simple. The study is exposed to threats to validity since the
source of the data could be distorted during storage. In addition, the reliability of the results is
threatened because it is impossible to tell if the cellular program was responsible for the reduction of
the crashes or the reduction was due to a reduction trend that was bound to happen irrespective of
program implementation. This calls for further empirical evidence. The research question was also
limited

Kovandzic, T., Sloan, J., and Vieraitis, L. (2004). “’Striking Out’ as Crime Reduction

Policy: The Impact of ‘Three Strikes’ Laws on Crime Rates in U.S. Cities.” Justice Quarterly, 21(2): 207-
239. The research study employed the use of a multiple time series design which is appropriate for
causal analysis. The research design is causal because it examines the causes crimes and how they can
be reduced using the strikers’ law. The research report is analyzing the effectiveness of the strikers’ law
in reducing crime. The study is aimed at checking if strikers’ law is the cause of crime reduction. The
research design is appropriate for the study and enhances the rigor of the research. This type of
research design is in consistence with the tradition of carrying out research. This is a non-experimental
study hence the research design used is appropriate and enhances the trustworthiness of the findings.
The kind of data used for the research is time-series cross-sectional data and was UCR data obtained
from 188 cities with 100,000 populations or more for the two decades starting from 1980 to 2000. The
data obtained for this study which is cross-sectional type of data is reliable and valid. This is because the
source of the data is verifiable in addition to being rich due to the many cases that are reported hence
the researcher is able to collect sufficient data. The data is sufficient and seems appropriate for the
study thereby enhancing the rigor of the research.

The sampling procedure involved identification of the sample which was the city since it was the
smallest unit available in addition to being the most internally homogeneous unit for which the UCR
crime data was available for a large national sample of geographical areas. Other basic models were
employed for collecting the sample using the time-series cross-sectional data method. The sampling
procedure for this study was appropriate since adequate sample was gathered. The sampling procedure
was not simple although the methodology of running this procedure is defined by the research tradition.
The sampling procedure is reliable since it follows the research paradigm. The research tradition is also
adhered to when carrying out the procedure. The dependent variables used in this study include:
stickers’ law related crime change and non-strikers law related crime changes. The dependent variables
were used to analyze the case in which some relationship of crime reduction with implementation of
striker’s law was found. The research depends on these variables to examine the causal-effect
relationship. The variables examine the difference between crime reduction when the law is
implemented and when it’s absent. The dependent variables were reliable and appropriate for the
study. The study found significant variability between the crime reduction brought about when the law
is implemented and when it’s not.

The research found out that three strikers' law is associated positively with homicide rates in cities in
three strikers' states. The study revealed that the cities in three strikers' states did not witness
significant crime reduction. The research did not find any statistical evidence of crime reduction by the
three strikers' law. The research had some limitations related with using data from the states which
could result into aggregation bias. This could threaten the validity of the data. In addition standard
errors were inevitable causing threats to the reliability of the research findings. The research found little
evidence in the results obtained; this would make the study questionable and hence not trustworthy