Library

Guide to Criminology Resources

The following is a selected list of resources for starting research in Criminology. For further assistance, contact
Allison Carr, Social Sciences Librarian.

Getting Started
Books
Journal Articles
Statistics
Web Sites
Citing your Sources

Getting Started

These sources can help you identify a topic for your research. Some provide an overview of a specific issue and suggest other materials which might be useful for your research. Others help you to notice a topic that might be of interest to you.

Encyclopedia of American crime, HV6789 .S54 2001, Reference

Encyclopedia of crime and justice, Online, and HV6017 .E52 2002, Reference

Encyclopedia of criminology and deviant behavior, HV6017 .E53 2001, Reference

Encyclopedia of white-collar & corporate crime, HV6768 .E63 2005, Reference

Books

To search for books, you need to use a library catalog. Depending on how much time you have, you have a couple of options.

Books at Cal State San Marcos

Library Catalog
Search our local collection of about 250,000 books.

Other Options

Circuit (1-3 day delivery)
Search the collections of other San Diego area libraries -- about 3,000,000 books. Find and request books directly online; pick them up at our Library in 1-3 days.

WorldCat (5-10 day delivery)
Search the collections of libraries world-wide -- about 52,000,000 books. Find a book in this database, and fill-out an Interlibrary Loan delivery request. Book will be delivered to Library for pickup.

Journal Articles

To look for articles in journals, you will need to start with a research database. The following databases provide abstracts of articles from thousands of journals and other sources, often providing full-text. You can also browse a list of electronic journals for Criminology.

VIDEO: Learn how to find articles (approx. 6 min.)

Most Useful

Sociological Abstracts
Provides access to the latest international findings in theoretical and applied sociology, social science, and political science.
Coverage: 1963→current
Social Services Abstracts
Abstracts of current research focused on social work, human services, and related areas, including social welfare, social policy, and community development.
Coverage: 1980→current
JSTOR
Contains (EXCEPT for the latest five years) core scholarly journals in sociology, history, economics, political science, mathematics, African-American & Asian studies, literature, humanities, music, and biological, health & general sciences.
Coverage: 1838→2003

Also Useful

PAIS
An important index to political, economic, and social issues in current debate.
Coverage: 1972→current
Lexis Nexis Academic
Provides access to a wide range of news, business, legal, and reference information.
Coverage: 1975→current
PsycINFO
Available via EbscoHost: A comprehensive international database of psychology, covering the academic, research, and practice literature in psychology from over 45 countries in more than 30 languages.
Coverage: 1887→current
CQ Researcher
Explores a single "hot" issue in the news in-depth each week. Topics range from social and teen issues to environment, health, education and science and technology.
Coverage: 1991→current
Academic Search Premier
This scholarly collection offers information in nearly every area of academic study including: computer sciences, engineering, physics, chemistry, language and linguistics, arts & literature, medical sciences, ethnic studies, and many more.
Coverage: 1975→current
Womens Studies International
Includes over 204,000 records drawn from a variety of essential women's studies databases.
Coverage: 1972→current
GPO: U.S. Government Printing Office
Abstracts from all types of U.S. government documents, including Congressional reports, hearings, debates, and records.
Coverage: 1976→current
ScienceDirect
Provides full text access to over 1,000 journals covering all fields of science.
Coverage: 1995→current
Blackwell Journals (has moved to Wiley Interscience)
As of June 30, 2008, Wiley Interscience now includes Blackwell Journals. Please use the Wiley Interscience database connection. This message will disappear October 1, 2008.
Coverage: current
Sage Journals Online
Sage Journals Online includes over 460 journals in Business, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Science, Technology and Medicine.
Coverage: current

Statistics

Statistical abstract of the United States. A compilation of social, economic and political statistics about the U.S. Online, HA202 .S73, Reference or C 3.134, Government Documents

Uniform crime reports for the United States. Provides a wide variety of data on crimes committed, arrests, and law enforcement personnel from the FBI. Includes Crime in the U.S., Hate Crime Statistics, and Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted. Online, or J 1.14/7:, Government Documents

Sourcebook of criminal justice statistics. A major resource for data about the U.S. criminal justice system. Online, or J 29.9/6: Government Documents

Crime and delinquency in California. Provides access to data about crimes, arrests, dispositions, adult corrections, criminal justice expenditures and personnel for the State. From the Office of the Attorney General, California Department of Justice.

Bureau of Justice Statistics. The Bureau of Justice Statistics is a unit of the U.S. Department of Justice whose principal function is the compilation and analysis of data and the dissemination of information for statistical purposes.

Web Sites

There are a number of useful criminology Web sites. Make sure you evaluate each site for accuracy and authority.