Lazy Data? Using Administrative Records in Research on Judicial Systems

Opeskin, B

Lazy Data? Using Administrative Records in Research on Judicial Systems

Opeskin, B

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Publisher:: Oñati International Institute for the Sociology of Law
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Onati Socio-Legal Series, 2023, 15
Issue Date:: 2023-07-02

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Opeskin, B https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9393-3592
dc.date.accessioned	2023-03-23T04:29:50Z
dc.date.available	2023-01-11
dc.date.available	2023-03-23T04:29:50Z
dc.date.issued	2023-07-02
dc.identifier.citation	Onati Socio-Legal Series, 2023, 15
dc.identifier.issn	2079-5971
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/168199
dc.description.abstract	Social science research on courts and judges requires data that are typically generated through surveys, interviews, or observation for the purpose of answering specific research questions posed by the researcher. However, traditional methods of data collection are not always feasible. As an alternative, this article examines the use of administrative data, which have been collected for non-research purposes, in judicial research. Using research undertaken by the author over the past decade as case studies, the article examines potential sources of administrative data on courts and judges, how they can be acquired, and the uses to which they can be put. The article then assesses the advantages and disadvantages of using administrative data, which vary substantially according to the data source. The article concludes by agreeing with Babbie (2020) that ‘with so much data already collected, the lack of funds to support expensive data collection is no reason for not doing good and useful social research’ on judicial systems.
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Oñati International Institute for the Sociology of Law
dc.relation.ispartof	Onati Socio-Legal Series
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	1801 Law
dc.title	Lazy Data? Using Administrative Records in Research on Judicial Systems
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	15
utslib.for	1801 Law
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Law
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	true
dc.date.updated	2023-03-23T04:29:49Z
pubs.publication-status	Accepted
pubs.volume	15

Abstract:

Social science research on courts and judges requires data that are typically generated through surveys, interviews, or observation for the purpose of answering specific research questions posed by the researcher. However, traditional methods of data collection are not always feasible. As an alternative, this article examines the use of administrative data, which have been collected for non-research purposes, in judicial research. Using research undertaken by the author over the past decade as case studies, the article examines potential sources of administrative data on courts and judges, how they can be acquired, and the uses to which they can be put. The article then assesses the advantages and disadvantages of using administrative data, which vary substantially according to the data source. The article concludes by agreeing with Babbie (2020) that ‘with so much data already collected, the lack of funds to support expensive data collection is no reason for not doing good and useful social research’ on judicial systems.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/168199