Crm220 - Criminological Inquiry

Introduction | Indexes & Databases | Search Strategies | Citing Your Sources

Pat Prieto Reference & Instruction Librarian 207-780-5662 email me

• Library hours : When are the USM libraries open?

• Circulation Policies : How long can a book be checked out?; How much are fines?; Can I renew online?, etc.

• Serials Questions : How do I find a newspaper/magazine/journal article at USM?

• Inter-Library Loan : How to get books not in the University of Maine System or articles not available from USM; Questions? Try this FAQ

The databases listed below can help you identify journal articles and other publications on your topic. Once you have a citation, Finding Articles at USM gives detailed instructions on locating full text articles online and in print journals.

Criminal Justice Abstracts
Indexes and abstracts articles and other publications dealing with criminal justice policies, theories, programs and administration.  While the focus is primarily domestic, numerous international topics are also covered.

NCJRS Document Data Base
Abstracts and full text of criminal justice books, journal articles, and reports published by the U.S. Department of Justice, other local, state, and federal government agencies, international organizations, and the private sector.

Academic Search Premier
A multi-subject index that provides full text for nearly 4,000 scholarly publications of which 3,100 are peer reviewed. Academic areas of study include: social sciences, humanities, education, computer sciences, engineering, language and linguistics, arts & literature, medical sciences, and ethnic studies.

LegalTrac
An index to law journals, available only at the Law School Library (go to the 3rd floor of the Law School building for reference assistance)

Sociological Abstracts
The primary index for sociology and related disciplines including criminology, education, gerontology, mental health, minority studies, public health, social psychology, social work, urban studies, welfare programs, and women's studies. Comprehensive and international in scope. Covers about 2,600 journals in 30 different languages from 55 different countries. Also includes books, conference papers,and doctoral dissertations.

How do I find the right types of crime data?

Since you need to search for both survey and reported crime data it is important to consider those parameters when typing in your search terms.  For instance, if you were searching for domestic violence data in the U.K. and the U.S., your search statement might look something like this (do U.K. and U.S. separately):

domestic violence and (united kingdom or great britain) and (survey* or report* or data or statistic* or study) As you proceed with this search you'll find that other phrases such as domestic abuse or family violence or wife battering can be subsituted for domestic violence.  Always be on the lookout for alternative words or phrases to use.

Because you are also looking for the definition of your crime, carefully read the titles, abstracts, and descriptors (de: field in a CJA record) of each record in CJA.  You could possibly add and definition* to your search statement, but that might prove to be too limiting. In some cases, you won't be able to tell whether a definition is available without looking at the article itself.

How do I get hold of the articles?

The Criminology Style Guide for Writing Papers is based on APA documentation style. For more on citing using APA documentation, the following resources are also available:

Online: A Reference Guide to Using Internet Sources (Look under “Citation Styles” for APA format)

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
POR/GOR Reference BF76.7 .P83 2001
LEW Reserve BF76.7 .P83 2001

Created by: Pat Prieto
Created on: 02.12.2006
Last Updated: 02.11.08