How were the data sources linked?
We chose to use law enforcement data as the base because our experience suggests that this file may be more comprehensive in ascertaining homicides. We are primarily interested in data relevant to understanding and preventing fatal violence, such as the relationship between perpetrator and victim, type of weapon used, and circumstances of the fatal assault. The homicide file contains more detailed information about the homicide than does the death record file. Death records were linked to the homicide file using Integrity TM probabilistic matching software. Matching fields included victims social security number, first name, middle name, last name, age, county of residence, and date of injury or incident.
