Criminal Justice

CCC Library's Criminal Justice Research Guide is your one-stop shop to access criminal justice databases, APA templates, and other helpful criminal justice research resources.

Use the tabs or links below to access:

• CCC Library's all-in-one search tool - it's our academic version of Google!
• Free online criminal justice databases and articles - from magazines, trade journals, and peer-reviewed journals - complete with premade APA citations
• Online eBooks related to criminal justice and law enforcement
• Streaming videos related to criminal justice and law enforcement
• Searching tips and tricks for Google and databases
• APA resources including downloadable research paper templates

International Criminal Court logo [Public domain image]. Available from https://commons.wikimedia.org

Before you choose a topic to research, test it out and make sure it is a good topic to use!

Now that you've learned how to choose a good research topic, the next step is to develop a thesis.

Screen blank or would like Closed Captioning? Watch the YouTube video.

  Video created by CCC Library (Feb. 2018).

Having trouble finding a topic for your paper? The most important aspect of your topic is that it needs to be interesting to you - because you get to learn (research) and write (paper) about it.

1. Browse for suggested topics in CCC Library's databases (good database options for topic browsing are listed below under Browse for topics).
2. Review your class lecture notes and PowerPoints.
3. Brainstorm topics by making a concept map.
4. Bounce ideas off of your classmates, instructor, or a librarian, tutor, or peer mentor.

A good topic:

• is interesting to you;
• is narrow enough - too broad a topic and you won't be able to cover it in your paper;
• is broad enough - too narrow a topic and you won't be able to find enough information about it; and
• fits the parameters of your assignment.