Criminal Justice Research Guide

This online guide is developed specifically for research assignments in Criminal Justice. It provides a recommended list of resources geared towards completing research assignments.

• Finding Books
• Finding E-Books
• Finding Articles
• Trusted Web Sites
• Reference Materials
• APA Format Help
• Off-Campus Access to Online Resources

Finding Books

• Use the online catalog to locate books in the LFCC libraries.

Hints

• Use the keyword search to search for books about your topic.
• Check the campus location - items can be at Middletown or Fauquier.
• You'll need the call number to locate items on the shelf.

Finding E-Books

• The online catalog also contains NetLibrary E-Books.

Hints

• To find e-books, use the keyword search and include the keyword netlibrary.
• You can view the full-text of the e-books from any computer on either campus.
• To use a NetLibrary book off-campus, first you must create a NetLibrary account while you are on campus.
• More information is available here.

Finding Articles

• Academic Search Complete
  A one-stop source for journal and periodical articles on a wide range of topics: business, computers, current events, economics, education, environmental issues, health care, hobbies, humanities, law, literature and art, politics, science, social sciences, sports, technology, and many general interest topics. Millions of full-text articles.
• Associate Programs Source
  Article database designed specifically for junior and community colleges with a primary focus on disciplines of study within associate degrees and certification programs, including accounting, child care services, graphic arts, interior design, journalism, plumbing, heating and air conditioning, and welding.
• CQ Researcher  
  Full-text, in-depth, unbiased coverage of health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology, and the economy.
• Legal Collection
  This database contains full text for more than 250 of the world's most respected, scholarly law journals.
• Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center (InfoTrac)
  Social issues like school violence, drugs, and abortion, are presented in a pro-and-con format in this collection of articles from journals, magazines, and newspapers.

Trusted Web Sites

• U.S. Government provided Web sites
  • U.S. Senate
  • U.S. House of Representatives
  • Library of Congress
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Department of Justice
  • Virginia Legislature
  • West Virginia Legislature
  • Virginia Supreme Court
  • West Virginia Supreme Court
• University criminal justice resources Web sites
  • University of Indiana Virtual Law Library
  • Harvard University Harvard University Law Library
  • University of California - Davis Law Library
  • Cornell University Law School Library
  • University of North Carolina Law Library
  • Georgetown University Law Library
  • Duke University Law Library
  • Intute.ac.uk
• Other trusted Web sites
  • Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Librarian's Internet Index
  • FindLaw Legal Web and Database search
  • Virtual Chase: Legal Research Index
  • Justia: U.S. Supreme Court Center
  • Net Law Tools: Internet Research
  • Google Scholar

Reference Materials

• Congressional Universe (Lexis Nexis)
  Includes abstracts and indexing for congressional publications, legislative histories, member biographies, committee assignments, voting records, and financial data; and the full text of key regulatory and statutory resources.
• Dissertation Abstracts  (FirstSearch)
  Index to dissertations and theses in all subject areas.
• GPO Monthly Catalog (FirstSearch)
  Index to U.S. government publications.
• Issues and Controversies (Facts on File)
  Full-text reports on current issues and controversies.
• Statistical Universe (Lexis Nexis)
  Database of over 30,000 statistical tables.
• WorldCat (FirstSearch)
  Large database of books and other materials held in thousands of libraries.

APA Writing Assistance

• Dr. Plonsky's (UW-Steven's Point) APA Style Guide
• Noodlebib
• Duke Libraries "Assembling a List of Works Cited in Your Paper"
• Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)
  
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Writers' Workshop

Off-Campus Access to Online Resources

To use library databases off-campus, you can log into it with your VCCS username and password.

Click on a database link and you will be asked to enter your VCCS username and password. This is the same password you use for Blackboard or MyVCCS.

Only registered students can access library databases from off-campus.