Gaining an OverviewTo develop and refine your search, it often helps to consult a specialized dictionary, encyclopedia, handbook, textbook, guide, or bibliography. These tools are designed to offer an overview of your topic or research problem written by an expert. They may provide an historical perspective, a chronology of events, definitions of terms or concepts, or bibliographic references leading to the literature in a particular field of study. Many useful reference works are now available online. These handy e-reference collections are accessible via Find Resources By... Subject, Title, or Type on the library's homepage.
Suggested Starting Points and Aids for this CourseA Dictionary of Law Enforcement 2007
Encyclopedia of Crime and Justice. 2nd ed. 4 vols. (Reference HV6017 .E52 2002) The most significant criminal justice encyclopedia, it has lengthy articles with accompanying bibliographies, provides information on concepts, theories, principles and research related to criminal behavior and criminal justice legal issues.
Crime and Punishment: Essential Primary Sources. 2006 Readings and resources on selected cases tracking the development and issues in crime and punishment in the 19th-21st century. Primary source documents include speeches, legislation, magazine and newspaper articles, memoirs, letters, interviews, images, and more. Each case is annotated to give context and significance.
Criminal Justice Student Writer's Manual (Ready Reference HV9950 .C74323 2008)
Current Perspectives in Forensic Psychology and Criminal Justice (Stacks HV6080 .C87 2006) Reviews research in police and correctional psychology, the psychology of crime and victimization, and psychology as applied to criminal and civil courts.
Cybercrime: A Reference Handbook 2004. Explores many forms of computer exploits, both positively and negatively motivated. Includes lists of articles, Web sites, and organizations related to computer crime.
Searching IUCAT for Books and PeriodicalsSearch IUCAT Catalog (Indiana University's online library catalog), to find books and periodicals (scholarly journals, popular magazines, newspapers, and other serials), or library materials such as music CDs, electronic resources, and videos. Materials at the Fort Wayne Helmke Library are designated by the library location FORTWAYNE.
IUCAT searches from on-campus computers will show only materials held by the IPFW Fort Wayne Helmke Library. To search all IU libraries, choose ALL from the Select Library pull-down menu on the search screen.
Sometimes IUCAT will lead you to articles in periodicals, but the most efficient way to locate articles is to use a periodical database or index to search many periodicals simultaneously.
Learning about IUCATSave time in the long run by investing a half-hour with our interactive Searching IUCAT Tutorial. It is an easy way to grasp fundamental search techniques and try your hand at practice searches designed to reinforce your knowledge. Also check our other IUCAT Guides for help in using IUCAT to your best advantage.
Choosing the Type of SearchUse the default Basic Search search option to find important keywords or phrases in an IUCAT record, in any order. Choose this search when you are unsure of the exact author or title of works on your topic.
Choose the Begins With (Browse) option from the box labeled More IUCAT Searches to find words or phrases exactly as typed, letter-for-letter, searching from left to right. Choose this search to find known authors or titles. Step 1. Enter term(s) in Title, Author, or Keywords Anywhere search boxes.
Step 2. Under Library, leave Fort Wayne Helmke Library as default, or change to ALL.
Step 3. Click the Search button.
Keyword Search ExamplesKeywords Anywhere will search for words anywhere in a record. This search is the default when the Enter key is used instead of clicking the button.
Example: domestic violence and prevent$ (prevent$ finds preventing, prevention, prevented)
Example: Addams, Jane (find works about Jane Addams, or written by Jane Addams)
Author will search for first or last names in any order in the author fields of a record. Included are personal names, organizations, agencies, corporations, conferences, etc.
Example: Addams, Jane (finds works written by Jane Addams)
Title will search for important words in the title. Do not use initial articles: a, the, la, das, etc.
Example: dillinger (finds Dillinger : the Untold Story)
Subject will search for important words in the official Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH).
Example: gun control
Searching for Periodical ArticlesThe most efficient way of finding a high-quality periodical article , is to search a periodical database or index that provides descriptive abstracts, subject indexing, and often, the full-text content of articles. Check out the interactive Finding Articles Tutorial to learn the basics of choosing and searching the Academic Search Premier database. Below is a selection of databases useful for your course. For a complete list, see the library's Find Resources By... page. Select a resource by Subject, Title, or Type (choose Abstracts, Databases, & Indexes).
Databases for this Course
Academic Search Premier -       |
Coverage: Indexing coverage varies, with full-text content for some titles beginning 1975 or earlier, and most titles indexed from the 1990s. |
Brief Description: Provides abstracts and indexing of articles in more than 8,000 popular magazines, scholarly journals, and major newspapers in all fields of study, with nearly 4,000 titles available full text. |
Tools Available: A complete list of titles covered is available. |
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Criminology: a SAGE Full-Text Collection - |
Coverage: Indexing coverage varies, with full-text content for some titles beginning 1985 or earlier, and most titles indexed from the 1990s |
Brief Description: Criminology: A SAGE Full-Text Collection includes the full-text of 15 journals published by SAGE and participating societies, some journals going back twenty years, encompassing over 4,100 articles. |
Tools Available: An online guide and list of journals is available. |
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PsycARTICLES - |
Coverage: 1894 to present |
Brief Description: PsycARTICLES is produced by the American Psychological Association (APA) and contains full-text articles for over 50 peer-reviewed journals published by the APA and allied organizations from 1894 to the present. |
Tools Available: An online list of journals indexed is available. |
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PsycINFO - |
Coverage: 1887 to present |
Brief Description: An international database treating psychology and related disciplines such as social work, psychiatry, pharmacology, medicine, nursing, education, law, linguistics and business. |
Tools Available: An online list of journals indexed is available. |
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Sociological Abstracts - |
Coverage: 1952 to present |
Brief Description: Abstracts and indexes research literature from the fields of sociology and related disciplines such as anthropology, community development, demography, political science, social psychology, welfare services and women's studies. |
Tools Available: An online serials source list is available |
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Social Services Abstracts - |
Coverage: 1979 to present |
Brief Description: Focuses on the international serial literature of social work, human services, social welfare, social policy, and community development. |
Tools Available: class="MsoNormal">An online list of journals indexed is available. Both short and long database guides are available. |
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Using Government InformationThe U.S. government is an excellent source for primary research materials. Helmke Library has been a selective federal depository for U.S. government publications since 1965, receiving items in the categories of business, the census, commerce, defense history, education, health, justice, foreign affairs, presidential and congressional materials. Many federal government publications are freely available in digital format, and these resources can be accessed using IUCAT Catalog. The library's Public Information Reference Service (PIRS) provides research assistance as well as access to the wealth of local, state, federal, and international government information on the Web. The Allen County Public Library is also a federal depository library.
Government Information for this CourseBureau of Justice Statistics Established to collect, analyze, publish, and disseminate information on crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operation of justice systems at all levels of government.
Uniform Crime Reports
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
FedStats Statistics produced by more than 70 agencies of the U.S. federal government
National Criminal Justice Reference Service Extensive database of criminal justice articles.
United States Secret Service Investigative responsibilities now include crimes involving financial institution fraud, computer and telecommunications fraud, false identification documents, access device fraud, advance fee fraud, electronic funds transfers, and money laundering.
Searching the InternetFor some information needs, the Internet may supplement library resources. To begin an Internet search, try one of the many search engines on our Internet Search site. One that works well is Google, which ranks results by number of links leading to a site. The section on Subject-Oriented Tools includes directories that have evaluated and selected sites for specific subject areas, such as the Librarians' Index to the Internet.
Because the World Wide Web is a massive, tangled directory of knowledge producers, research, facts, and entertaining tidbits of information, you must be critical about the material you find there. Quality and validity are not assured when anyone can publish anything, anytime, without the benefit of scholarly peer review. There are many useful guides and tutorials to help you understand how to navigate and evaluate Web sites, including Is Your Web Site Credible?
Internet Sites for this CourseAfricana Criminal Justice Project Located at Columbia University, resources focus on the connections between race, crime, and criminal justice systems. Resources include a lengthy Bibliography.
American Civil Liberties Union Freedom Network: Criminal Justice Selective list of links to organizations focusing on such issues as prison rights, police brutality, prisoner rape, drug policy, and more.
Crimes Against Children Research Center A private non-profit organization seeking to the use of incarceration as a solution to social problems. Research portion of this site provides articles and reports on juvenile and criminal justice issues.
Criminal Justice Links Comprehensive Web site published by an associate professor of criminology at Florida State University. Topics include pornography, drugs, juvenile justice, restorative justice, crime and crime prevention. Extensive list of links.
Family Research Laboratory, University of New Hampshire Affiliated with the University of New Hampshire, this site offers bibliographies on family related violence including corporal punishment of children, sexual and physical abuse in families, dating violence, rape, peer victimization, and more.
National Center for Women & Policing conducts and disseminates original research on the status of women in policing and the impact of gender on police operations.
National White Collar Crime Center "The mission of NW3C is to provide a nationwide support system for agencies involved in the prevention, investigation, and prosecution of economic and high-tech crimes and to support and partner with other appropriate entities in addressing homeland security initiatives, as they relate to economic and high-tech crimes."
Racial Profiling Data Collection Resource Center at Northeastern University "This site is designed to be a central clearinghouse for police agencies, legislators, community leaders, social scientists, legal researchers, and journalists to access information about current data collection efforts, legislation and model policies, police-community initiatives, and methodological tools that can be used to collect and analyze data."
The Sentencing Project "The Sentencing Project is an independent source of criminal justice policy analysis, data and program information for the public and policy-makers. The Sentencing Project Website is designed to provide resources and information for the news media and a public concerned with criminal justice and sentencing issues."
Style Guides and Useful Tools for WritingA variety of style guides are on reserve at the Service Desk on the first floor. These tools help you organize and write your paper, and format in-text references and bibliography lists. For more information, also see our Style, Publishing, & Writing Guides.
And Finally, Ask a LibrarianLibrarians and skilled information assistants are always available to assist you. Visit the Service Desk to meet an information assistant who will help you get started. You are welcome to make an appointment with Your Subject Librarian if you need more in-depth assistance.
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garrisoj@ipfw.edu
2101 E. Coliseum Blvd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499
260-481-6499
Fax: 260-481-6509
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Judith Garrison M.L.S.
Reference & Information Services Librarian; Liaison to School of Business & Management Sciences, Labor Studies, Division of Public & Environmental Affairs; Assessment Coordinator
Helmke Library, LB 160 |
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