Essential Databases
These databases are a great place to begin your search for peer-reviewed articles relating to Criminal Justice. The search interface is easy to use and they search specifically in Criminal Justice-related titles.
- Criminal Justice Database (ProQuest) (1981+)"a comprehensive database supporting research on crime, its causes and impacts, legal and social implications, as well as litigation and crime trends. As well as U.S. and international scholarly journals, it includes correctional and law enforcement trade publications, dissertations, crime reports, crime blogs and other material relevant for researchers or those preparing for careers in criminal justice, law enforcement and related fields."
- Criminal Justice Abstracts (EBSCOhost) (1910+)Comprehensive coverage of the major journals in criminology and related disciplines, extensive coverage of books and reports from government and non-governmental agencies.
- Social Science Database (ProQuest)"ProQuest Social Science Journals is a definitive resource for those who need access to a variety of scientific journals. The database includes over 1000 titles, with the majority available in full text. It covers core disciplines across the social sciences including sociology, social work, anthropology, politics and other areas, featuring journals from over 50 countries, facilitating multidisciplinary research and providing researchers with a variety of perspectives."
- APA PsycInfo (EBSCOhost) (1887+)American Psychological Association's (APA) renowned resource for abstracts of scholarly journal articles, book chapters, books, and dissertations, is the largest resource devoted to peer-reviewed literature in behavioral science and mental health.
- Social Work Abstracts (EBSCOhost) (1965+)offers extensive coverage of more than 450 social work and human services journals dating back to 1965. Produced by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the database provides citations and abstracts dealing with all aspects of the social work field, including theory and practice, areas of service and social issues and problems such as homelessness, child and family welfare, and aging.
- Sage Research Methods
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Full text of book, journal, and reference content to aid as students research design methodologies, understand and select methods, conduct research, and write findings.
Includes tools such as:
- Project Planner: find step-by-step guidance to complete your research project
- Which Stats Test: answer questions to see which statistical method is best for your data
Great Databases but...
Below are databases direct from journal publishers. They contain a lot of articles in Criminal Justice and the Social Sciences, but DO NOT begin your search here. The search interface for these articles is very basic. You need to have a good set of keywords or search terms to use before attempting to use these databases.
- Taylor & Francis Journals (T&F)a one-stop site hosting international journals published by Taylor & Francis and Routledge
- Springer LINKProviding researchers with access to millions of scientific documents from journals, books, series, protocols and reference works.
- Social Sciences & Humanities (SAGE Journals)Browse journals by discipline: Anthropology & Archaeology; Communication & Media Studies; Criminology & Criminal Justice; Cultural Studies; Economics & Development; Education; Ethnic Studies; Family Studies; Gender Studies; Geography; Gerontology & Aging; Group Studies; History; Information Science; Interpersonal Violence; Language & Linguistics; Law; Management & Organization Studies; Marketing & Hospitality; Peace Studies & Conflict Resolution; Philosophy; Politics & International Relations; Psychoanalysis; Psychology & Counseling; Public Administration; Regional Studies; Research Methods & Evaluation; Science & Society Studies; Social Work & Social Policy; Sociology; Special Education; Theology & Biblical Studies; Urban Studies & Planning
- Science Direct (1997+)
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Full text scientific, technical and medical research journals, eBooks, Reference works, handbooks and book series published by Elsevier. - Oxford AcademicOxford Academic access to scholarly and academic books and journals. It combines the full book and article content from Oxford Journals, Florida Scholarship Online, Oxford Scholarship Online, and Oxford Handbooks Online.
- Oxford Journals Online (OUP) (1827+)Selective full text (1996+) of Oxford University Press journals covering a variety of disciplines:
-- Arts & Humanities -- Law -- Medicine & Health -- Science & Mathematics -- Social Sciences - Emerald Insight Journals and eBooksOnline journals and eBooks from Emerald which publishes in a broad range of disciplines.
Also Worth a Look
These databases are related to Criminal Justice topics and may help you find articles specific to your topic.
- Academic Search Premier (EBSCOhost)Indexing and full text of articles for array of scholarly and popular topics. Provides full text for over 4,600 scholarly journals covering the social sciences, humanities, science, cultural studies, education, and much more.
- Applied Social Sciences Index & Abstracts - ASSIA (ProQuest) (1987+)Covers health, social services, psychology, sociology, economics, politics, race relations and education.
- Criminal Justice (Gale OneFile)"provides access to academic journals and magazines on topics in criminal justice and related fields. Key subjects covered in the database include law, law enforcement, security, and terrorism."
- Family Studies Abstracts (EBSCOhost)Indexing of journals in family studies, including marriage, divorce, family and therapy.
- GenderWatch (ProQuest)a database of unique and diverse publications that focus on how gender impacts a broad spectrum of subject areas.
- JSTORFull text of research journals and eBooks from numerous publishers. For most of the journal content, we can access all but the 3 to 5 most recent years of the journal.
- National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) (1970+)an information clearinghouse for people around the U.S. and the world involved with research, policy, and practice related to criminal and juvenile justice, and drug control.
- National Criminal Justice Reference Service Abstracts (ProQuest) (1975+)"The NCJRS Abstracts Database contains summaries of over 200,000 U.S. and international publications, including federal, state, and local government reports, books, research reports, journal articles, audiovisual presentations, and unpublished research."
- Nexis Uni - Criminal JusticeSearch State & Federal Statutes -- Recent News -- Recent Supreme Court Decisions -- Recent Law Review Articles -- University News -- Featured Publications -- Landmark Supreme Court Decisions
- PAIS Index (ProQuest) (1915+)contains references to more than 553,300 journal articles, books, government documents, statistical directories, grey literature, research reports, conference reports, publications of international agencies, microfiche, Internet material, & more.
The print index provides coverage for 1915-1974 - Main Library Reference H1.P8 - Project MUSE (Johns Hopkins University)a unique collaboration between libraries and publishers providing 100% full-text, affordable and user-friendly online access to over 300+ high quality humanities and social sciences journals from over 60 scholarly publishers.
- Social Science Research Network (SSRN)"is devoted to the rapid worldwide dissemination of social science research and is composed of a number of specialized research networks in each of the social sciences"
- Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) (1965+)
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a multidisciplinary index to the journal literature of the social sciences. - Sociology Database (ProQuest)"ProQuest Sociology covers the international literature of sociology and social work, including culture and social structure, history and theory of sociology, social psychology, substance abuse and addiction and more. This collection provides full-text coverage of many core titles indexed in Sociological Abstracts and Social Services Abstracts. As well as hundreds of full text scholarly journals, the database also includes over 500 recent full-text doctoral dissertations on sociology."
- Urban Studies Abstracts (EBSCOhost)Indexing of journals in urban studies, including urban affairs, community development, and urban history.
- Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics) Provides citation indexing of top high-impact journals with powerful tools such as cited reference searching and Author Finder, 256 categories thoroughly cover the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities.
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