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An Introduction to Evidence-Based Practices

NCJ Number
246494
Author(s)
Stan Orchowsky, Ph.D.
Date Published
April 2014
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This paper presents a brief history of the evidence-based practices (EBPs) movement and discusses what is meant by evidence, from where it comes, sources of information on EBPs, the implementation of EBPs, and what to do when there is no evidence for a particular program or practice.
Abstract
The current EBP movement originated in the field of medicine, when, beginning in the mid-1800s, parallel trends that involved the increased use of scientific methods, statistical analysis, and discoveries from the natural sciences increased interest in distinguishing between effective and ineffective medical treatments based on patient outcomes. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, criminal justice researchers who undertook the summarizing of what was known about effective programs were concerned with describing what the evidence showed about what types of interventions were effective; however there was no systematic effort to identify specific programs that were shown to be effective, nor to rate the quality of the studies that led to their conclusions. In recent years, evaluation methods for criminal justice programs have improved, along with the dissemination of information needed for replication. As used in the EBP movement in criminal justice, the objective for effectiveness is reduction in the continuation of the criminal behavior being targeted for treatment. This paper reviewed the criteria for such evidence. The paper reviewed the nature of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which compared two groups: one that received the intervention and a matched group that was similar to the treatment group but did not receive the treatment. It also notes that features of quasi experiments and non-experiments that for various reasons cannot be subjected to RCT. In addition, the paper discusses how much evidence is sufficient to establish a program or policy's effectiveness, and the use of systematic reviews and meta-analysis of cumulative research in a particular area. 36 references and suggested resources