CRIJ 6340/POSC 6340 (Dr. Price): Criminal Justice System Overview
Purpose: To acquaint you with materials in Cornette Library and on the World Wide Web that will make research for your presentation and paper easier.
Reference Sources
- Excellent place to start research.
- Provide background information.
- Include basic information sources like dictionaries, encyclopedias, bibliographies, chronologies, and research guides.
Guides to Research in Criminal Justice
- Provide list of sources (books, articles, etc.) for specific subjects. May include annotations.
- Criminal Justice Information : How to Find It, How to Use It
- HV 7419.5 .C75 1998 Ref.
- Single volume source with excellent, although somewhat dated, collection of web links.
- Criminal Justice Research in Libraries and on the Internet
- HV 7419 .C73 N45 1997 Ref.
- Single volume source which includes an introduction to research process, glossary, and subject index.
Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
- Provide in-depth, scholarly articles, focused on a specific subject or discipline. Often include bibliographies.
- Encyclopedia of Crime & Justice
- HV 6017 .E52 2002 Ref.
- Provides historical perspective, pro/con, and legal status. Includes domestic violence, crime causation, etc.
- Encyclopedia of Police Science
- HV 7901 .E53 1995 Ref.
- Provides brief articles about issues in police science. Alphabetical by topic with general index for additional references.
- Dictionary of American Criminal Justice: Key Terms and Major Supreme Court Cases
- HV 7411 .C53 1998 Ref.
- Glossary is about a fourth of the volume, with alphabetically arranged major cases as the remainder. Index also references cases by general subject such as "Plain View".
- Prisons in America: A Reference Handbook
- HV 9471 .R36 1999 Ref.
- Overview of penology issues, including chronology, biographical sketches, statistics, pro/con.
Statistics
- Statistical Abstract of the United States
- HA 202 .A2 Ref. Desk (latest edition at the Reference Desk, earlier editions in the Government Documents; also available online)
- Publication of U.S. government. Sample of relevant statistics includes population demographics, prison data, crime, victimization, and law enforcement.
- The Texas Almanac
- AY 311 .D3 T5 Ref. (latest edition at Reference Desk, earlier editions in the Reference stacks.)
- Crime profiles for Texas counties.
- The World Almanac and Book of Facts
- AY 67 .N5 W7 Ref. (latest edition at the Reference Desk, earlier editions in the Reference stacks; also available online)
- Crime rates, prison populations, executions, etc.
Biography
- Cops, Crooks, and Criminologists: An International Biographical Dictionary of Law Enforcement
- HV 7911 .A1 A94 2000 Ref.
- Brief biographical sketches ranging from Sir Robert Peel to Daryl Gates. Strong on historical figures.
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Books
- Cornette Library's Online Catalog
- Includes books, government documents, videos, journal titles, etc. available throughout the Library. Suggested searches include:
- a keyword search for your subject, such as women criminal justice or juvenile crime or American prison system.
- the general LC subject heading policewomen or Juvenile delinquency--United States--Prevention or Prisons -- United States..
- the LC subject heading for a specific time and/or place such as female offenders rehabilitation United States or Prisons -- Texas -- History.
To determine the most appropriate subject headings for your search, refer to the red Library of Congress Subject Headings near the Reference computers in the Library or search the online Library of Congress Authorities Catalog.
- WorldCat
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- Online catalog for libraries around the world.
- Lists Cornette Library books along with many more in other libraries.
- Search by keyword, author, title, or subject.
- Request books not in Cornette Library through the pre-filled Interlibrary loan form. Allow at least two weeks for the books to arrive.
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Journal, Magazine, & Newspaper Articles
Provide current information
- Cornette Library shelves contain more than 1500 bound and current journals and magazines
- Microform (film or fiche) available for dozens of leading newspapers, as well as other periodicals
- Databases index articles found in journals and magazines.
- citation only
- citation and a short summary of the article (abstract)
- full text
- general, covering many kinds of topics, and specialized, for specific disciplines.
- For this assignment be sure to use scholarly sources, not general interest magazines. The differences are important for citation and for evaluating reliability.
How to Access Databases
- On-campus: In the library or HELC
- Off-campus: Login with your Buff Advisor username (for example, js123456) and your Buff Advisor password (for example, buffaloes).
- Journals for database citations not in full-text may be located in Cornette Library's online catalog, or the list of online journals.
- Use Interlibrary Loan to request articles inaccessible through Cornette library. Allow 1-2 weeks for articles to arrive, and up to 3 weeks for books.
Need Help?
- Ask at the Reference Desk (first floor) or Periodicals Desk (second floor).
- Or call 651-2215 during the hours Cornette Library is open.
- Or use the library's Ask a Librarian Form online.
Which database?
- Google Scholar
- Familiar Google interface, searches .edu sites, some publishers journals contents, etc. ACCESS through the library web page to have the "Full-text at WTAMU": links work properly.
- Web of Science
- Simultaneously search Social Sciences Citation Index, Science Citation Index, and Arts & Humanities Citation index. Citations, usually with abstract. Full-text linking.
- Special features include ability to track citation patterns and create individual account for e-mail alerts and saved searches.
- Academic Search Complete
- General cross-disciplinary database, mostly full-text.
- Electronic Collections Online
- Recommended specifically for Crime & Delinquency, full-text journal in a mostly citation database.
- ScienceDirect Journals
- Contains full-text of Journal of Criminal Justice from first issue (1973) through the most current issue. No other criminal justice periodicals are in this full-text database, but some journals cover related subjects such as sociology and psychology.
- SpringerLink
- Recommended specifically for Journal of Family Violence, full-text database.
- Ulrichs'
- Publication information, such as publisher, circulation, whether scholarly or other.
See the subject pathfinders for additional suggestions.
Logo
- Displays in most of our databases. Links from a citation to one or more of the following:
- One or more links to full-text of the cited article,
- A link to a pre-set search of the Cornette Library catalog for the cited item,
- A link to a pre-filled Interlibrary Loan request form for the article, or
- A link to various help options.
- For more information see the tutorial Using SFX to Link to Articles
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Government Documents
Cornette Library collects United States federal and Texas state documents on many topics.
- Most U.S. documents published since 1994 are listed in the Cornette Library's online catalog.
- For older documents, you will need to use the Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications.
Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications
- Indexes all United States government documents made available through the Government Printing Office.
- Includes Congressional reports, hearings, debates, and records; judiciary materials; documents issued by executive departments (Defense, State, Labor, Office of the President, etc.).
- Dates available include:
- Documents/Reference (1913-present)
- Online via FirstSearch (1976-present)
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Web Sites
- The World Wide Web is an excellent source of information.
- Not everything found on the Web is accurate
- You must evaluate information on the Web
Specialized subject sites
- National Criminal Justice Reference Service
- Contains text of numerous special reports on crime issues published by the U.S. Department of Justice.
- Bureau of Justice Statistics
- Statistics on criminal offenders, victims, prison inmates, etc. collected by the U.S. Department of Justice.
- Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics
- Site offers keyword search and topic browse access to more than 600 tables from various governmental sources.
- Women and Criminal Justice
- Bibliographies and link collections for women as offenders, victims, and criminal justice professionals. Created by the Texas Woman's University Law Enforcement Management Institute.
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Citing Your Sources
Why must I cite the sources I use for research projects?
- To give credit to the author of the information you use.
- To avoid plagiarism (WTAMU Code of Student Life: Appendix I-Academic Integrity Code).
Plagiarism is a serious offense that can result in a failing grade or worse! - So that others can verify the information.
- To assist others in doing their own research.
Turabian Citation Style
- Dr. Price requires you to use the parenthetical reference/reference list method detailed in A manual for writers of term papers, theses and dissertations by Kate L. Turabian.
- A copy of Turabian is located at the Reference Desk. Use Chapters 10 and 11, and examples 14.39 and 14.40.
- Additional assistance is available from our Citation Basics web page, showing sample citations.
- Other helpful sites are located on our Recommended Web Pages: Citing Internet and Print Resources. Use the Georgetown University link (fourth on the list for Turabian) for this class.
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Your Comments
- Suggestions for improvements?
- Particularly helpful items?
- Please email Linda Chenoweth
Thank you.
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