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Databases are general and specific; general databases include a variety of topics (news, crime, sports, education, etc...) available via search tools. Discipline specific databases (criminal justice, music) provide resources on one topic. Remember that databases contain popular and scholarly resources--make sure you are using the correct source for your assignment.
Databases can be located in two ways; either by A-Z or by Subject Area (History, Criminal Justice, etc... ).
Databases usually have a Help or "?" section that provides information on how to search the database.
Additionally, you can contact a librarian for assistance with database research.
Looking for a specific journal title? Specific journal titles can be found by searching the catalog for journal title, searching a specific database (databases usually have a list of journal titles found within the database) or by searching the box titled "Find e-journals, eBooks, and media by title or ISSN/ISBN" on the Library Electronic Resources Page.
As a member of the ISU community, you can access the databases when you are off-campus; log into the ISU system with your Portal ID and Password.
The databases provide access to a variety of resources; including scholarly, trade and popular articles, book reviews, interviews, and reports.
You can set up "alerts" on databases to be notified when new material on your topic is added to the database, save your research, email or print articles. Information on setting up alerts is found in the "Help" or "?" section of the database.
If you would like to meet with the Criminology and Criminal Justice Librarian, click on her e-mail (look to the right) to set up an appointment.
Library catalogs provide the ability to search for many items, including print and electronic books, journal titles, DVD's and CD's. You can also limit searches by date or type of information needed.
Individual catalog entries can provide information on the topic of the item (found under Summary and/or Contents) and can provide additional resources by clicking on the "Subject" entry for each item.
For assistance in researching the catalog, contact 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.
