This document provides an overview of library research for a criminology course. It covers topics such as determining authority, principles of good searching, finding articles and statistics, and citing sources. The document includes outlines, screenshots, and images to illustrate key points. Research strategies are discussed, such as developing a research question, identifying key concepts, using appropriate keywords and Boolean operators to search databases. Tips are also provided for evaluating sources and determining if information is data or statistics.

1. Clarke Iakovakis | Research & Instruction Librarian | UHCL Neumann Library
Library Research for CRIM 4384: Statistics
Crime image courtesy Sivi Steys on Flickr. Licensed under CC-BY-SA

2. http://libguides.uhcl.edu/CRIM-SOCI4385

3. For me, the hardest part
of research is…
a. Getting started
b. Finding relevant information
c. Writing the paper
d. Citing sources
e. None – research is easy

5. Outline for Today
• Research is Inquiry
• Determining Authority
• Principles of Good Searching
• BREAK
• Finding articles & statistics
• Citing sources

6. Section 1:
Research is Inquiry
Screenshot from Sherlock © British Broadcasting Company. Retrieved from Tumblr

7. Research is an open-
ended exploration and
engagement with
information
Anxiety is normal!
Be open-minded—seek
divergent perspectives
and information that
challenges your beliefs,
and be skeptical
Curiosity Rover Self-Image courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems. Public Domain.

8. A literature review is part of the published
work referencing related research, theory,
and background information
A review of the literature (literature search)
may be conducted to…
◦ understand a topic
◦ help you form a problem statement
◦ provide confirmation of an already
existing hypothesis
◦ analyze and interpret your own data
◦ gain exposure to past, current, and
ongoing research about a subject you are
exploring for research of your own
Reviewing literature

9. Primary, secondary, and tertiary
sources
•Primary sources are the “raw
material” or first-hand
evidence
•Secondary sources describe
and interpret information
from primary sources
•Tertiary sources compile and
summarize primary and
secondary sources
Art and Picture Collection, The New
York Public Library. (1883). The Arrest.

10. Data vs. Statistics: What’s the
difference?
DATA
Collected as part of a study
CSV or Excel files, text, XML,
databases
Contain individual observations
Come with documentation to
understand
Often require preparation (also called
“cleaning”)
Used as the “raw ingredients” for
generating statistics
STATISTICS
Results of data analysis
Tables, charts, maps, graphs
May describe what the data shows
◦ Frequency
◦ Mean
◦ Median
May go beyond the immediate data
to find inferences
◦ Regression
◦ Analysis of variance

11. Statistics
or data?
Statistics
Data
Houston Police Department. (2014). May 2014 monthly uniform crime report by street. Retrieved from
http://www.houstontx.gov/police/cs/xls/may14.xls.

12. Statistics
or data?
Data
Statistics
Houston Police Department. (2014). May 2014 monthly uniform crime report city-wide
summary. Retrieved from http://mycity.houstontx.gov/crime/ucrPage.aspx.

13. Section 2:
Determining
Authority
Benito Mussolini. Public domain image retrieved from Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division,
Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives collection.

14. Authority is constructed and
contextual
“Authority” is a type of influence
recognized or exerted in a community
Disciplines have acknowledged
authorities—scholars, publications &
processes
Approach all information
(“authoritative” or not) with informed
skepticism.

15. What are some indicators you can
use to help determine if
information is valid?
CRAAP: Currency
Relevance
Authority
Accuracy
Purpose
Craps table image courtesy Lisa Brewster on Flickr.
Licensed under CC-BY-SA

16. What is peer review?
 A process for establishing authority of
scholarly research
 Experts review the original ideas to
certify the accuracy, validity, and value
of the results
Chubin, D. E., & Hackett, E. J. (2005). Peer Review. In C. Mitcham (Ed.),
Encyclopedia of Science, Technology, and Ethics (Vol. 3, pp. 1390-1394).
Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA. Retrieved from
http://libproxy.uhcl.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id
=GALE%7CCX3434900491&v=2.1&u=txshracd2589&it=r&p=GVRL&sw
=w&asid=67e06d81c0d758521a67ba637722e45c

17. Periodicals (journals, magazines)
Peer-reviewed
Refereed
Scholarly
Academic
Trade
Professional
Practitioner
Industry
General
Popular

18. Author credentials (usually
universities; sometimes
industry or government)
Journal information (name, volume, issue, year)
Abstract
Literature Review
Methodology
Anatomy of a scholarly article
Tables and/or graphs

19. Establishing the validity of
data is a bit trickier
• Data are not typically “peer reviewed”—most
journals do not require researchers to submit the
full dataset
• Apply the CRAAP test
• Review the research methodology
• Data collection
• Data analysis
• Data interpretation

20. When interpreting statistics,
consider:
What is your research question or topic?
What is being measured (the unit of observation)?
◦ Individual? Family? Household? Race? Nation? World?
◦ Pay attention to the unit of measurement
What is the space? Are you comparing geographic areas?
◦ County? State? World?
What is the time period?
◦ 10 years ago? Today? Snapshot vs. across time (“longitudinal”)? Future?

21. Section 3: Principles
of good searching
On the Scent. Image licensed CC-BY on Flickr by stephen bowler.

22. • Determine your research question1
• Identify the key concepts2
• List alternate keywords, synonyms, and related words3
• Join terms and concepts with appropriate Boolean
operators4
• Make use of database’s limiters & suggested subject
terms5
• Organize and cite your sources6
Search Process

23. One
• What are some factors that play a role in shaping
teenagers’ attitudes toward police officers?
Two
• How do socio-economic status, neighborhood crime,
education level, and previous interactions with police
officers shape teenagers’ attitudes toward police officers?
Three
• What is the influence of individual teenagers’ past contact
with police officers on their attitudes toward police?
1. Determine your research question

24. 2. Identify the key concepts
Teenagers
Police
Attitudes
Police contact
What is the influence of individual
teenagers’ past contact with police
officers on their attitudes toward police?

25. Teenagers
Adolescents
Youth
Juveniles
Delinquents
3. List alternate keywords,
synonyms, and related words
What is the influence of individual teenagers’ past
contact with police officers on their attitudes
toward police?

26. Police
Law enforcement
Peace
officers
CopsCorrections
3. List alternate keywords,
synonyms, and related words
What is the influence of individual teenagers’ past
contact with police officers on their attitudes
toward police?

27. Police contact
Police interaction
Police-
community
relations
Arrest
Questioning OR
interrogation
3. List alternate keywords,
synonyms, and related words
What is the influence of individual teenagers’ past
contact with police officers on their attitudes
toward police?

28. AND
OR
NOT
4. Join terms and concepts with
appropriate Boolean operators

29. juveniles
teenagers
adolescents
teenagers OR juveniles OR adolescents

30. Police OR law
enforcement OR
corrections
teenagers OR
juveniles OR
adolescents

32. Which statement below will
generate more search results?

33. Which search will find
FEWER results?
A.
B.
OR
teenagers
teenagers
police
police

34. m

35. Using a wildcard (*) will find a
larger number of results
interrogate
interrogates
interrogating
interrogation
interrogator
interrogators
interrogat* *

36. • State your research topic1
• Identify the key concepts2
• List alternate keywords, synonyms, and related words3
• Join terms and concepts with appropriate Boolean
operators4
• Make use of database’s limiters & suggested subject
terms5
• Organize and cite your sources6
Search Strategies

37. Breaktime
Please be back in 10
minutes
Image courtesy Archives and Special Collections at the University of Montana, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library

38. Section 4: Research
Databases &
Library Catalog
Screenshot from Wargames © United Artists. Retrieved from Tumblr

39. Why use a library when I have Google?
But wait…

40. tumblr
.gov Wikipedia
Subscription
databases
Password-protected
websites
restricted
access
$$$
Illegal
content
Classified
documents
Surface Web
Deep Web
Amazon
cnn
Google
ads

41. What are some sources of
scholarly information?
Books
Reference works
Peer-reviewed journal articles
Gray literature
Reports (government,
non-governmental organizations)
Theses & dissertations
Conference proceedings
Archival resources
Research Data & Statistics
Portrait of a Scholar – Rembrandt
Public Domain Image courtesy Wikimedia

43. Three
• What is the influence of individual teenagers’ past
contact with police officers on their attitudes toward
police?
Access a Criminology database (Criminal Justice
Abstracts or Criminology: SAGE Journals) to find an
article related to the following research question:
Currency
Relevance
Authority
Accuracy
Purpose

44. Sources for statistics
Studies & research reports by non-governmental
organizations
Official statistics collected by the government
Polling organizations
Peer reviewed journal articles
Data repositories
Textbooks & encyclopedias
Newspapers & magazines (both print and online)

45. Which state executed the most
prisoners in the last 35 years
(1977-2011)?
Colorado
Virginia
Oklahoma
Florida
Texas
Jury designed by Luis Prado from the Noun Project

46. Which state executed the most
prisoners in the last 35 years
(1977-2011)?
• Texas – 477
• Florida - 71
• Oklahoma - 96
• Virginia - 109
• Colorado - 1
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics
Retrieved from Statistical Abstract of the
United States
Link

47. To connect to library
databases from home
Log in using your UHCL ID and last name
Log in using your eservice account
Call the library and ask for a password
Google it
Log in using your Library barcode and last name

48. Section 5: Citing
Sources

49. Dissect this citation
Carr, P. J., Napolitano, L., & Keating, J. (2007). We
never call the cops and here is why: A qualitative
examination of legal cynicism in three Philadelphia
neighborhoods. Criminology, 45(2), 445-480. doi:
10.1111/j.1745-9125.2007.00084.x
What is the…
 Journal name
 Volume number
 Issue number
 Authors
 Article title
 Page number range
 Year of publication
 DOI

51. To contact a Librarian
libanswers.uhcl.edu

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