(Updated November 2024) Research Notes give background information on the technical details of the Commission’s data collection and analysis process. They are designed to help researchers use the Commission’s datafiles by providing answers to common data analysis questions.
Research Notes
- Issue 1: Collection of Individual Offender Data
This first edition of Research Notes explains how the Commission collects and analyzes sentencing information, and describes the Commission’s many datafiles. (Published July 17, 2019)
- Issue 2: Analyzing Federal Sentence Length & Type
This second edition of Research Notes explains how the Commission collects and reports information on the sentences imposed on individuals, and describes analytical issues that may arise when using the Commission’s sentencing data. (Published September 26, 2019)
- Issue 3: Offense Type & Sentencing Guideline Analysis Issues Prior to Fiscal Year 2018
This third edition of Research Notes explains the methodology the Commission used prior to fiscal year 2018 to create two key variables that classified federal offenses. (Published November 14, 2019)
- Issue 4: The Significance of [SOURCES]: Resolving Guideline Application Discrepancies in Federal Sentencing Documents
This fourth edition of Research Notes explains how the Commission collects and reports court findings regarding guideline application and criminal history details in the sentencing of individuals. (Published March 31, 2020)
- Issue 5: Statute and Mandatory Minimum Penalty Variables
This fifth edition of Research Notes explains how the Commission collects and reports information about each count of conviction, the statutes associated with each count of conviction, and the corresponding statutory penalty ranges for each count of conviction. (Published September 24, 2020)
- Issue 6: Chapter Two and Three Guideline Application Information
This sixth edition of Research Notes explains how the Commission collects and reports information on the Chapter Two and Three guideline application. (Published October 26, 2020)
- Issue 7: Analyzing Drug and Chemical Offense Data
This seventh edition of Research Notes explains how the Commission collects and reports information on the drug and chemical variables available in the Commission’s individual datafiles. (Published November 21, 2024)