The Conjunctive Analysis of Case Configurations: An Exploratory Method for Discrete Multivariate Analyses of Crime Data

• Published in: Journal of quantitative criminology Vol. 24; no. 2; pp. 227 - 241
• Main Authors: Miethe, Terance D., Hart, Timothy C., Regoeczi, Wendy C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer Science+Business Media 01-06-2008; Springer US; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Conviction records; Crime; Criminal sentences; Criminal sentencing; Criminology; Criminology and Criminal Justice; Data; Drug Abuse; Drug interactions; Drug offenders; Drug trafficking; Law and Criminology; Mathematical models; Methodology of the Social Sciences; Modeling; Multivariate analysis; Original Paper; Prisons; Qualitative comparative analysis; Research methods; Sentencing; Sociology; Statistics; Conjunctive analysis; Discrete multivariate analysis; Case configurations; Exploratory methods
• ISSN: 0748-4518; 1573-7799
• DOI: 10.1007/s10940-008-9044-8

Derived from comparative approaches in both qualitative and quantitative research, the current study describes a simple exploratory technique for the multivariate analysis of categorical data. This technique is referred to as the conjunctive analysis of case configurations. After describing the logic and underlying assumptions of this conjunctive method, it is applied and illustrated in the study of the federal sentencing of drug offenders. The relative value of this conjunctive approach for purposes of exploratory data analysis and its overall utility as a method for confirmatory research are also discussed.