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Why use a dictionary? Dictionaries can provide definitions and background information on criminal justice terms and phrases.
Some dictionaries also contain important historical or legal documents related to criminal justice.
Scholarly articles are found in databases. When you search a database, look for "scholarly" or "peer-reviewed" and check the box. This insures that articles from your searches are scholarly. Do not limit yourself to searching only criminal justice databases. If your topic is current, you may also want to use newspaper databases for current information and statistics. When you find an article useful for your topic, look at the bibliography at the end of the article. Often, checking the bibliography can provide you with additional sources to use in your research.
When you search the databases, remember the requirements of your assignment.
Databases have a "Help" or "?" section to provide research tips for using the database. The links below provide general tips on researching databases. If you need research assistance, contact the School of Criminology and Security Studies Librarian.
This page provides tips on research and using the library catalogs and databases.
Books (print and electronic) can provide background material on your topic. Encyclopedias are excellent sources to locate background material on a topic. Reviewing background material can help you understand a topic and determine what area of the topic you want to research. The material can also provide keywords and search terms to use in the library catalogs and databases.
Databases (general and subject specific) provide access to scholarly articles and current research information. You can limit your searches to specific dates, types of article, or full-text only. If you have questions about searching a database, contact a librarian.
Focus your topic. Homicide, terrorism or domestic violence are very large topics; it would be difficult to write on the general topic of "domestic violence" or "terrorism." Look at information on the topic and pick a specific area to focus on for research. For example, instead of looking at "domestic violence"--consider OIDV (officer involved domestic violence) or a specific type of abuse, such as financial.
Review the bibliographies from books and articles; they can lead you to additional materials to use in your research.
Make sure you understand the requirements of the assignment; including the number and type of resources required. Give yourself enough time to locate, read, and evaluate the sources to verify they meet the requirements for the assignment.
WorldCat is a "combined catalog of more than 100 million books, web resources, and other materials from libraries throughout the world. From this database, you can electronically request items via interlibrary loan." WorldCat can tell you what has been published on your topic. When you search for an item, WorldCat tells you if the ISU library has the item or if you need to use Interlibrary Loan to obtain a copy.
Anyone can place anything on the web. If you use a resource from the web, make sure you evaluate the resource. Below are links to information on evaluating web resources. If you have questions, consult a librarian.
Library catalogs provide the ability to search by keyword, author, or title. When you view the results of your catalog searches, make sure to look at the Contents and/or Summary for each item. They can provide detailed information on the resource and help you decide if the item is pertinent to your research.
Keyword Search:
Type one or more words from the title, author, or subject into a search bar. Examples: Title: Criminal Theory OR Criminal Theories
Author Search:
Type all or part of the author's name (last name, first). Examples: Douglas, J or Douglas, John
Title:
Type as much of the title as possible, starting with the first word. If you do not know the title, use a keyword search. Example: Serial Killers: Understanding Lust Murder
Quotation Marks:
Using quotation marks around a phrase tells the library catalog to search the term as typed into the search box. Example: "juvenile delinquency."
Wildcards:
You can use an asterisk (*) in place of characters in a word. Using "?" replaces a single letter in the word. Examples: crimin* will return words with criminal, criminology, etc... . Using wom?n returns search results with women or woman.
Boolean Operators:
Using Boolean Operators gives you the ability to focus your search using "and" "or" or "and not." Using "and" connects your search terms, using "or" means you are searching for either term, and "and not" means you do not want results with that term. Examples death penalty AND juveniles, death penalty OR capital punishment, World War II "and not" Battle of Britain.
When you use the library catalog, there are time-saving tools you can use.
You need to create a PIN; creating a PIN gives you the ability to use these tools.
You can place a "hold" on materials; library staff will pull the items off the shelves and contact you to pick them up.
You can create an "Add to My List" to keep track of your searches.
The "Hold" and "Add to My List" are found at the top of the pages containing returns from searches.
If you need assistance creating a PIN or using the other services, contact the Library Public Services Desk or a librarian. You can use Chat with a Librarian for assistance.
