Subject Librarian
Finding Background Information
Use these sources to gain familiarity with your topic, narrow your research question, provide context, and identify experts
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Oxford Handbooks Online: Criminology and Criminal JusticeHandbooks with review essays in the field of criminal justice. We have access to all of the handbooks in this collection. This resource provided with support from the Lou and Beth Holtz Endowment.
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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.
Choosing a Topic
Taking the time to carefully choose and refine your topic can save you significant time and effort later in your research.
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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