From Research Synthesis to Evidence‐Based Policy and Practice

• Published date: 01 February 2014
• Date: 01 February 2014
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/1745-9133.12069
• Author: Brandon C. Welsh

VOLLMER AWARD COMMENTARY

VOLLMER AWARD

From Research Synthesis to Evidence-Based

Policy and Practice

How Mark Lipsey Is Improving Juvenile Offender Treatment

Brandon C. Welsh

Northeastern University

Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement

In thinking about the many ways that Mark Lipsey personifies the Vollmer Award, I

am reminded of a quote from one of my favorite poets of the First World War; it goes

like this: “Life’s wealth is to do; its loss—to dream and wait” (Sassoon, 1945: 154). In

no small measure this captures the prolific nature of Lipsey, let alone his many noteworthy

contributions to the science of criminology (e.g., Lipsey, 2003; Lipsey and Wilson, 2001;

National Research Council, 2005; see also Cullen, 2005). But the “doing” in Lipsey’s case

also has meant contributing, in substantial ways, to the very process and understanding of

how research gets translated into policy and practice.

I am not talking about conducting a meta-analysis on topic Xor Yand setting out

sound implications for policy and practice. Lipsey has done this time and time again, with

a focus on risk factors, offender types, treatment modalities, and so on (e.g., Lipsey and

Derzon, 1998; Lipsey and Landenberger, 2006; Wilson and Lipsey, 2007), and this research

has proven tremendously influential here in the United States and abroad. Rather, I am

referring to his most recent body of work, an effort to build on these past studies and add

even more precision to how research synthesis can contribute to evidence-based policy and

practice in juvenile justice—as well as bring about more effective treatment for juvenile

offenders. This is the focus of my commentary.

Standardized Program Evaluation Protocol

Meta-analysis results can be used as the basis for improving existing programs or services.

This is one of the main approaches for translating research evidence on effective programs

Direct correspondence to Brandon C. Welsh, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Northeastern

University, Churchill Hall, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115 (e-mail: b.welsh@neu.edu).

DOI:10.1111/1745-9133.12069 C2014 American Society of Criminology 21

Criminology & Public Policy rVolume 13 rIssue 1