Use the following electronic and print indexes to find articles and other materials on specific topics in criminology and criminal justice in scholarly journals. A scholarly journal is a journal whose main purpose is to inform and to report on original research or experimentation. Scholarly journals are usually published by a scholarly professional association or a university and contain articles that are lengthy and extensively documented, with all references provided in footnotes or endnotes.
• Use advanced search options so that you have multiple
search boxes and limiting options (e.g. peer-reviewed only) readily
available to you when you begin your search
• Click on the title links in results list to view the full record
of an item so that you may view the abstract (summary), citation
information, and subject headings (or descriptors) assigned to a
particular article, case study, etc.
• Use subject headings
(the database’s controlled vocabulary pre-determined by database
indexers) in addition to your keywords (terms created on the spot by
you that describe your topic). Subject headings can be found in the
full record of an item or through the database’s thesaurus or subject
guide
• To find the full text of an article, look for a “full
text” link in the article record, or click on the green "Get this Item" button. This will link you to the Libraries Article Linker page. If the Libraries have full text access to the journal there will be a link to the full text. If the Libraries do not have full text access there will be a link to Interlibrary Loan so you may request this article from another library.
• Use help tools to learn more effective search techniques for the particular database you are searching.
Ask Us by clicking on the chat link, ask at the Services Desk, or make an appointment, we are happy to help.
Finding Newspaper Articles
Several newspaper indexes are available to help in locating newspaper articles on a particular topic. Be sure the index you choose covers the geographic area and the time period in which you are interested. Remember that sometimes the best index for your research needs is a paper index, not an online database.
