CRIM 220:
Library Research
SPRING 2016
Yolanda Koscielski
Criminology, Psychology and
Philosophy Librarian
YOUR TASK
Research
• a literature review
… use of 5 or more
academic articles
OUR AGENDA
How to find…
• background
information
• scholarly articles
• info on research
methodology
Plus…
• Narrowing your
topic
LITERATURE REVIEW
A literature review…
• Summarizes related studies and tries
to makes sense of the pattern of
findings. It draws conclusions about
what is known, what is not, and what
should be.
(adapted from SFU Library website)
EXAMPLE
LITERATURE REVIEW
Denton, Erin (2009). International News Coverage of Human Trafficking
Arrests and Prosecutions: a Content Analysis (Master’s Thesis). Simon
Fraser University, Burnaby, BC. Retrieved from
http://troy.lib.sfu.ca/record=b5632368~S1a
From Denton’s Literature Review (20 pgs)
In 1904, the first modern response to the new slave trade, the International
Agreement for the Suppression of the White Slave Traffic, was created (Friman &
Reich, 2007). …
… the current, relatively accepted definition of trafficking describes a wide range of
activities (Bruckert & Parent, 2002; O’Connell, Davidson & Donelan in Laczko &
Gramegna, 2003). The trafficking of humans is not one single activity….
History
Definitions
While Andrees (2005) considers the use of media and secondary sources a cause for
concern, others (e.g., Dottridge, 2002), see the use of media as a means to gain
access to a field of study that is notoriously difficult to infiltrate….
Issues
Rather than separating the forced prostitution and sexual exploitation literature from
human trafficking, much of the literature muddles the two together….
Gaps
WHERE TO FIND
Background Information:
Encyclopedias and handbooks: Gale Virtual Reference
Library, Oxford Reference Online, SAGE Reference
What can we find out about football
hooliganism?
WHERE TO SEARCH
SFU LIBRARY: BEYOND BOOKS
•
•
•
•
•
1.35 million books
400,000 ebooks
63,000 ejournals
500 database subscriptions
GIS + Maps, images, streaming music + movies, video
games & board games (Surrey), etc.
• Research data library with specialized datasets
DEMO
INFORMATION SOURCES
ENCYCLOPEDIAS
• OVERVIEW OF YOUR TOPIC / THE “BIG PICTURE”
• WRITTEN WITH THE ACADEMIC IN MIND, OFTEN BY
SPECIALISTS IN THE FIELD
• USE THE BIBLIOGRAPHY TO IDENTIFY KEY ARTICLES,
STUDIES, AUTHORS, ETC.
ACADEMIC ARTICLES
The usual suspects for Crim articles:
Criminology databases:
• Criminal Justice Abstracts, National Criminal Justice
Reference Service
Other discipline-based databases:
• PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts
General databases:
• Academic Search Premier, Web of Science
DEMO
Main concepts
Background on methodology:
• Demo: “operationalize”,
limited by Criminology +
Encyclopedias
13
WHERE TO FIND
• Research methodology portal
• Encyclopedias, handbooks, a
research methods map
WORKING YOUR
TOPIC
Do you have a subject area, topic, or thesis?
• Subject is very broad: freedom of information, Charter of
Rights and mental illness
• Topic adds a second concept, explores a relationship or
question between the two concepts: testosterone levels in sex
offenders, effect of art therapy on recidivism
• Thesis: you are making an assertion and providing supportive
evidence: Art therapy decreases recidivism in young offenders
WORKING YOUR
TOPIC
Next, think of synonyms, plus broader, narrower and related
terms for each of your concepts:
What is the impact of art therapy on recidivism in young
offenders?
Art therapy
Recidivism
Young offenders
Music therapy
Dance therapy
Counselling/therapy
Repeat offender
Early adolescent offenders
Juvenile Delinquents
Criminals
APA GUIDES
• APA Book
• APA Blog
• SFU & Other APA Guides
APA GUIDES
Criminology 220
17
Actual APA guides available for check-out in the library
GETTING HELP
GETTING HELP
Ask anyone at the reference desk in any of the three
campus libraries.
Use our Ask a Librarian services (via the Library home
page) to contact a librarian (by phone, IM, email, text):
• By phone
• Email
• Text (quick questions)