Introduction to Criminal Justice

Scholarly Journal Articles

The most efficient approach to find scholarly journal articles on any topic is to start in one of the library’s databases such as Criminal Justice Abstracts or Sociological Abstracts (see below) which index hundreds of scholarly journals and will lead you to relevant articles on your topic.

The Library subscribes to a large number of scholarly criminal justice journals. The links on the Library’s website and on this course guide provide access to the full text online.

• Criminal Justice Abstracts
  Covers crime trends, crime prevention and deterrence, juvenile delinquency, juvenile justice, police, courts and sentencing. Indexes the content of scholarly journals such as the Journal of Criminal Justice, Criminology, Justice Quarterly, Criminology and Public Policy, and the Journal of Correctional Education.
• Sociological Abstracts
  Covers scholarly journals in the field of sociology.
• Social Services Abstracts
  Covers current research focused on social work, human services, and related areas.

2 helpful tips:

  Your gateway to the full text of journal articles.

Content is available via the following links:  Click on the Article link(s) to go to the full text.
Request from another library:  Submit an interlibrary loan request online. It takes on average 3-5 days for the article to arrive via email.

What is a scholarly journal article?

A scholarly journal article is a lengthy journal article based on primary research or original theoretical speculation and published in what is often referred to as a peer-reviewed journal. Most scholarly journal articles in the social sciences include the following elements:

Author name and affiliation
Abstract
Introduction & literature review
Data & measurement
Analysis & results
Conclusion
Bibliography

For a more detailed description of the differences between scholarly journals and popular magazines click here. You can find a detailed description of the peer-review process on Wikipedia.

Background Research

The library has a large number of subject specific online encyclopedias with exhaustive and well-researched entries written by subject experts. The essays in these encyclopedias and companions are great overviews and they can be helpful in defining and focusing a topic. All essays include bibliographies that will lead to further sources on a topic.

• Sage Reference Online
  Find relevant essays in the complete collection of Sage online encyclopedias.
• 21st Century Criminology
  Includes helpful overview essays, such as the one on Drug Courts.
• Encyclopedia of Crime & Justice
  Sample entry: Restorative Justice
• Encyclopedia of Crime & Punishment
  Sample entry:  Gun Control.
• Encyclopedia of Juvenile Justice
  Sample entry:  Boot Camps.
• Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement
  Sample entry: Community Policing
• Encyclopedia of Murder & Violent Crime
  Sample entry:  Prevention of Crime and Violent Behavior.
• Encyclopedia of Race & Crime
  Sample entry:  Disproportionate Incarceration.
• Encyclopedia of Victimology & Crime Prevention
  Sample entry: Crime Prevention
• Encyclopedia of Prisons & Correctional Facilities
  Sample entry:  Recidivism
• Encyclopedia of Social Problems
  Sample entry:  Deterrence Programs
• Blackwell Companion to Criminology
  Sample entry:  The Politics of Crime Statistics
• Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology
  Sample entry:  Gun Control, Gun Crime

Citing Your Sources

• Research and Documentation Online - APA
  Online guide to citing in APA style.
• Export references from journal indexes/databases
  All the indexes listed above format references in APA style:
  Check off the articles which you need to cite and click on Save, Print, Email. The QuickBib feature has a selection of styles available from which you can choose. APA is the most widely used style in the social sciences.

• Export references from online encyclopedias
  Most of the online encyclopedias format references in APA style:

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