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CRIM 1208: Research Methods

Video Tutorials

FAQ "How do I know which database to use?"

 VIDEO: Choosing an Appropriate Research Database

    Shows students how to locate the library's research databases, and describes different types of databases, as well as how to locate databases which focus on a particular subject area.(8:39)
    Part 3 of the Finding Original Research Articles in Criminology video series.

 VIDEO: Searching in Databases: Basic Tips

    Learn how to transform a research question into database search strategy​ that will help you locate relevant articles. (30:49)
    Part 4 of the Finding Original Research Articles in Criminology video series.

    The learning objectives for this video are that students will use the Criminal Justice Abstracts database to learn how to:

    • transform a research question into database search strategy
    • break down a research question into its main concepts (WHO, WHAT, WHERE), and then into search keywords
    • put keywords together in a way that a database can understand using the AND Boolean operator
    • understand the basics of how databases work to take advantage of their strengths and avoid their weaknesses
    • appreciate that that searching in databases is a process of trial and error; there is no simple formula for the perfect search.

 VIDEO: Creating a Search Strategy

    Shows how to choose useful search keywords, and use the AND and OR connectors to improve your database search results. (4:35)


Credit: Creating a Search Strategy, by University of Arizona Libraries (CC-BY-4.0).

 VIDEO: Improving Your Database Search Strategy

    Take your basic search a step further. Learn how to expand and narrow your database search results to focus in on relevant articles. Also covers how to create and save a folder of useful articles. Builds on the Basic Tips video. (26:58)
    Part 5 of the Finding Original Research Articles in Criminology video series.

    The learning objectives for this video are that students will use the Criminal Justice Abstracts database to learn how to:

    • expand their search results using the OR Boolean operator and truncaction/wildcard searching
    • narrow their search results using the AND Boolean command, field searching, date range, and reseach methodology limiters
    • save their search results

 VIDEO: Should I Rethink My Search?

    Shows how to refine a search strategy using quotation marks to keep phrase words together, and locate subject terms to improve your database search results. (3:30)

Credit: Should I Rethink My Search?, by University of Arizona Libraries (CC-BY 4.0).

Research databases

Recommended databases

KPU LIbrary subscribes to over 200 research databases covering different subjects and types of information. The following 5 databases are great starting places for most CRIM topics:

Summon Search

Use the KPU Library's search tool called Summon to look for different types of sources in the library's collection, all at once.

 

 

 VIDEO: Using Summon Search (5 min)

If you have not found anything useful in the Library's databases (though that's very unlikely!), you may want to check Google Scholar.

  • Google Scholar lists articles from a wide variety of scholarly journals.
  • It also includes references to book chapters and many other types of sources.
  • Has a handy "Cited by" feature which links to other articles which have cited a publication
Google Scholar Search
FAQ "How can I use Google Scholar to find full text articles?"
 Do not pay for articles! Customize your Google Scholar settings to locate the full-text of articles via KPU Library

Where can I get this article?

If you are searching in a KPU library database:

  • You will often see a link directly to the full-text of the article; look for a PDF icon, or a link that says "full-text"
  • If you do not see this, click on the link that says "Where can I get this?". This will often link you to the full article in another database available through KPU Library.
  • If KPU Library does not subscribe to this journal, you will be given the option to request the article AT NO CHARGE through the interlibrary loan request link. We do the searching and can email most articles to you within 2 business days.

 

If you have a citation for a specific article:

Option 1 (Quickest): Cut and paste your citation into our Summon Search tool
 

 

Option 2: Look up the journal title to find out if it's available through KPU Library:
 

 

 VIDEO: How to Find a Particular Journal in the Library (5:42)

Note: This search will ONLY tell you whether Kwantlen users have access to a specific journal title, and link you to a list of available issues. This tool will NOT search for individual articles on a specific topic. For that, you need to use either Summon or one of the library's research databases.

 

If KPU Library does not have the journal article:

Search Planner Worksheet

Search tips

Are you getting too many search results? Too few? Here are a few basic tips to help you get the right number of relevant search results. 

Tips for Better Searching: What to do if you have too many or not enough search results

Too many?

  • Use AND between your search terms, so that all results have all of your search terms
  • Use Quotation Marks around phrases or groups of words you want to search as an exact phrase, eg., "food security", "racial profiling". Do not put an entire question or title in quotation marks however; this will result in very few, if any relevant results.
  • Use database Filters and Limits to narrow your results by content type, date, and subject area. Library databases and Summon have these features
  • Use NOT between search terms to exclude results you don't want

Too few?

  • Use OR between similar search terms so that all results have either or all terms
  • Use a different database to find additional sources

In-class practice

In-class practice using shared Google Doc

Instructions

  1. Find a partner; you can work in pairs or groups of three. 

  2. The librarian (Chris) will assign each group a number.

  3. Look at the table on the shared Google Doc and open the research database assigned to your group number.

  4. Search in your assigned database for an original (primary) research article published in the last 5 years on this topic:

    • Marijuana use and impaired driving in Canada

  5. Enter an APA citation for a relevant article into the table.

Head’s up: I will call on one or two groups to share details on how they searched in the database to find their article.

  • Which filters did they use?

  • Which keywords worked best for them?

  • What (if anything) was great or frustrating about using that database?