NCknows offers 24/7 help for your information and library use questions.
Usually focused on a particular subject, annuals, atlases, and yearbooks present data and statistics from a given year. Their primary purpose is to compile the year's activities into an arrangement by country, subject or specialized area. Annuals and yearbooks are usually located in the Reference Collection of the Library.
Books are written or printed works produced by one or more authors. Individuals or committees with expertise in the field often edit books. Because they provide comprehensive information on their subject at the time of publication, books are very valuable in the research process. For many subject areas this is the best starting point for research. Many books contain valuable bibliographies at the end of each chapter or at the close of the book. This provides an excellent entry point into the subject material as well to the authors publishing in a particular field of study.
| Crime and criminals | HV 6791 .C72 |
| Crime, policy, and criminal behavior in America | HV 9950 .H68 |
| Criminal justice decisions of the United States Supreme Court | KF 9223 .A7 H37 |
| Criminal justice information: how to find it, how to use it | HV 7419.5 .C75 |
| Criminal justice: concepts and issues: an anthology | HV 9950 .C744 |
| Global organized crime and international security | HV 6441 .G565 |
| Introduction to criminal evidence and court procedure | KF 9660 .H35 |
| Issues in crime | HV 9950 .N48 |
| Police-community relations and the administration of justice | HV 7936 .P8 H86 |
| Thinking about crime: sense and sensibility in American penal culture | HV 9471 .T65 |
Online information databases are large, regularly updated collections of digitized information -- including but not limited to abstracts and full text articles from journals and newspapers, conference proceedings and submitted papers, dissertations, government reports, essays, book chapters, web pages, etc. The content is created by publishers who release print versions, then lease the rights to their information to database vendors. Database records are easy to search and retrieve because the content of each record has been analyzed and assigned appropriate subject headings, keywords, names, etc. New records are regularly downloaded from the producer of each database.
In order to access these resources off-campus, you must first obtain the passwords.
If you are looking for a specific journal within a database, use the E-Journal Portal. It returns the names of databases which contain the desired journal.
A dictionary is any single or multi-volume work which briefly explains terms and topics related to a specific subject, usually arranged alphabetically. Dictionary entries are usually shorter than those found in an encyclopedia. Dictionaries assist with the understanding of terminology and concepts, suggest synonyms, related terms, and scientific names, and are useful resources to consult when formulating and refining your research strategy. Often illustrations and references to additional resources are included.
| The American Dictionary of Criminal Justice | REF HV 7411 .C48 |
| Dictionary of American penology | REF HV 9304 .W54 |
| The new dictionary of legal terms | KF 156 .S5 |
Encyclopedias are among the most widely used reference sources and contain articles of varying lengths covering all fields of knowledge. Typically encyclopedias cover many topics but without going into a great deal of depth on any one thing. Encyclopedias are a good starting point for researching topics that you do not know much about or that are completely new to you. They can give you background information which can help when you move to more in-depth sources later. Specialized encyclopedias may cover just one field or even a sub-unit of that field. Subject encyclopedias can be consulted for detailed or technical information on a subject.
| The Encyclopedia of American Crime (2 volumes) | REF HV 6789.S54 |
| Encyclopedia of American Prisons | REF HV 9471.E425 |
| Encyclopedia of Criminology and Deviant Behavior (4 volumes) | REF HV 6017.E53 |
| Encyclopedia of Forensic Science: A Compendium of Detective Fact and Fiction | REF HV 8073.C595 |
| Violence In America: An Encyclopedia (3 volumes) | REF HN 90.V5.V5474 |
Government information is generated by local, state, national, and international governments on almost all topics. Most government information is undergoing a major shift from traditional formats such as print and microfiche, to a variety of electronic formats available through the Internet. Government information is considered to be a primary, authoritative and reliable resource. To find government information on your topic, search the library catalog, specialized indexes, and government agency web sites.
An excellent resource for all types of government information in virtually any subject area or topic is the GSA Federal Citizen Information Center. Individuals can access information online or by using the Consumer Information Catalog to locate items.
Handbooks, manuals and guides are resources which supply concise factual and statistical information, often in the form of charts, graphs, tables and formulas. These sources have very basic information, with little or no discussion or analysis of the facts they present. They cover a wide variety of topics, and as with other reference sources, these tools may be general or specific to a field, group of people, or era. These sources are frequently updated, which makes them valuable for locating current information. Try searching the online catalog using the keywords of your topic combined with one of the following keywords: handbook, manual or guide.
| Handbook of organized crime in the United States | HV 6446 .H345 |
Journals are scholarly periodicals which publish current research and commentary on their specific field of study. Most scholarly journals are peer-reviewed which means they have been reviewed and verified by a panel of experts in the field.
Statistical sources attempt to answer questions beginning with “How much?” or “How many?” The tool needed to answer such a question is determined by the question's depth and complexity. Typically a straightforward question requires searching for statistics already analayzed and recorded in books, journal articles, and the publications of governments, associations, and organizations.