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Criminology

This guide includes the exercises and resources that will be used in the two library research sessions for CRIM 1208, taught by Chris Burns (Librarian) and Chris Giles (Instructor).

Session 1: Sept. 13, 2017

Session 2

Identifying Scholarly Journals

Scholarly journals contain articles written by experts, which have been reviewed by other experts. They are often called 'academic', 'refereed' or 'peer-reviewed'.

Which of these items is a scholarly journal article?
Article 1: 4 votes (8.16%)
Article 2: 39 votes (79.59%)
Article 3: 3 votes (6.12%)
all: 1 votes (2.04%)
none: 2 votes (4.08%)
Total Votes: 49

Each link takes you to a summary (abstract) of the article. From there, click on "Full Text" to view the article. Choose only one answer.

TIP: if you're not sure, check the Library's guide "Is this a scholarly article?"

Identifying PRIMARY research articles

Scholarly journals typically include both primary and secondary research articles. 

The precise definition of a primary source depends on the discipline of study. When Criminology instructors ask you to find primary sources, they usually want you to locate journal articles or other reports which are the first publication of new research findings. These articles will always include a methodology section explaining how the research was conducted.

Secondary sources of information describe, explain, interpret or summarize primary sources. These include encyclopedias, book reviews, commentaries, literature reviews, and any books or journal articles that simply discuss the original (previously-published) work of others.

Which of these is a primary research article?
Article 1: 0 votes (0%)
Article 2: 0 votes (0%)
Article 3: 0 votes (0%)
not sure: 0 votes (0%)
Total Votes: 0

Each link takes you to a summary (abstract) of the article. From there, click on "Full Text" to view the article. Choose only one answer.

Tips on Developing your Research Question

Tips on Writing Literature Reviews