Subject Librarian
Finding Background Information
Use these sources to gain familiarity with your topic, narrow your research question, provide context, and identify experts
- Encyclopedia of Crime and PunishmentCovers topics relevant to crime and punishment with a unique focus on the multi/interdisciplinary and international aspects of these topics and historical perspectives on crime and punishment around the world.
- Oxford Handbooks This link opens in a new windowFind detailed review essays on specialized topics across a variety of social sciences and humanities disciplines. This resource is provided with partial support from the Lou and Beth Holtz Endowment. Only the handbooks which USC has purchased are available for online access.
Choosing a Topic
Taking the time to carefully choose and refine your topic can save you significant time and effort later in your research.
- How to Choose a TopicThis short video tells you the questions to ask and describes the process of choosing a workable research question.
Primary and Secondary Sources in Social Sciences
Primary sources = Original Research
- Written by the researcher(s) who performed the research study
- Should include sections detailing how the research was performed such as methodology, data, results, and discussion/conclusions
Secondary sources = Summarize, Review or Compare
- Authors did not conduct the research studies which are mentioned or cited in the article themselves
- Purpose is to summarize, review, or compare the published research on a specific topic