Research Tips

So you have been given a research assignment by your professor... and now what? If you have found your way here, then half the battle is won already! I am going to offer some research tips that should help you identify some good search terms to use when looking for journal articles.

The focus of this course is Professionalism in Criminal Organizations. What are some words that best describe the content of this course? Below is a list of terms I would suggest, but feel free to add your own! You can use these terms when searching - just copy and paste from the list below:

professionalism
criminal justice system or prison system or law enforcement or correctional
police department or law enforcement
law enforcement or police or cops or officers
self assessment or self evaluation or self reflection
administrative management theory or administrative management concept
leadership styles or leadership qualities or leadership behaviors or management style
emotional intelligence or emotional competence or emotional awareness or emotional literacy
strategic management or strategic planning or decision making or decision-making or strategizing process
benchmarking
problem solving or critical thinking
conflict resolution or conflict management
internal affairs

The next tab - Databases - Find Journals will be your next stop, where you can find databases to use to search for journal articles. Don't forget to use the filters - like "peer reviewed" or "scholarly journals." The databases will also generate APA citations for you!