Criminal Justice: Articles & Databases

SAGE Journals - peer-reviewed journal content, including journals published on behalf of 400 societies

Sociological Abstracts - indexes the international literature of sociology and related disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences.

California Legislative Information - this database has features like the quick bill search, quick code search, and provides users with information on California law, bill information, and legislative publications.

Criminal Justice Abstracts With Full Text - the leading full-text database for criminal justice and criminology research.

Homeland Security Digital Library (HSDL)- is the nation’s premier collection of documents related to homeland security policy, strategy, and organizational management.

The National Criminal Justice Reference Service -  provides access to recent publications, online resources, and upcoming events.

Academic Search Complete - includes rigorous curation and indexing of open access (OA) journals, which has resulted in a growing collection of 6,136 active global OA journals. 

HeinOnline's Gun Regulation and Legislation in America - hundreds of titles that analyze the controversial topic of gun regulation in America, including periodicals, key compiled federal legislative histories, congressional hearings, CRS reports, Supreme Court briefs, and more. 

Components & Importance

• Original scholarly research conducted by experts within a field or discipline
• Prior to publication, work is reviewed by other scholars or experts within that same discipline
• Peer-review ensure that the information being presented to you based on solid evidence and scientific facts, not opinions
• Provides a level of quality control
• They generally include: Introduction, literature review, method, analysis, conclusion, and references

*Note: Peer reviewed articles are important because they represent the most scholarly, most authoritative information within a given field.

*Information adapted from CSUDH's CJ Libguide

TIP! Entering a Google-type search into library research databases often retrieves irrelevant results.To search like a pro, watch these tutorials on search strategies. Would you like individual assistance? Feel free to contact your librarian by making an appointment or calling. 

1. Create a Research statement
   1. This can be in the form of a question or a sentence. Just think about what you want to research and write it down in one sentence.
2. Identify the keywords
   1. Look at your research statement. What are the main words or concepts? They will likely be nouns, and can include phrases. Highlight them.
3. Think of synonyms
   1. Look at the words/phrases you highlighted and think of synonyms or alternate phrases to describe those concepts. Scholarly articles often use words that we wouldn’t use in ordinary life.
4. Search in databases
   1. Pick two or three words/phrases from your list. Put each concept in its own search box.
5. Repeat
   1. Try different combinations of words to get different results. Add more words to narrow down your results. Look at the “Subject” headings for each article to see what keywords are being used the most.

Looking for additional resources for your research and academic goals? Take advantage of these services!

• Writing Resource Center - You can make an appointment by contacting at wrc@csub.edu. Or, you may view their citation and writing resources online via their webpage.
• Education Workshops - All students are welcome to attend to gain strategies and tips to improve their writing skills to succeed with integrity, decision-making skills, and/or get help with citation and writing styles from experts.
• Tutoring Services - Provides information on the Writing Resource Center, the Math Tutoring Center, SSE Tutoring Center, Arts & Humanities Tutoring Center, and more.