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Criminal Justice/Bail Enforcement/Law Enforcement

This guide is designed to help students and faculty access credible resources related to the study of criminal justice, bail enforcement, and law enforcement.

Researching Crime and Criminals

Many students in Criminal Justice courses need to research specific crimes and/or criminals to learn how the justice system works. This page will show you how to do that research. Use the tabs to navigate between:

  • Primary Source search tips (primary sources are things like court records, police reports, and more)
  • Library Databases search tips (library databases give you access to peer reviewed articles, books, and even newspapers)
  • Website search tips (non-profits like the Innocence Project record crime information in detail)

To get started you need to know:

  1. The name of the criminal: ___________________
  2. The type of crime: ___________________
  3. Your assignment requirements: _________________
  4. How you'll use the information you find in your course: __________________

Library Databases

Library database are searchable websites that give students access to credible information for free. This is where you want to go if your professor asks you to find specific types of information, like peer-reviewed journal articles or books.

Websites

Different law enforcement organizations, non-profit organizations and Wikipedia-like websites publish information about crimes. Use this list to help you find information about crimes and the individuals connected to them.

Primary Sources Search Tips

Sources found on criminals vary depending on jurisdiction of the crime and privacy laws. Generally, if the criminal is living, it will be more difficult to find primary sources on their crimes.

Primary Source Types

  • Court transcripts and documents
  • Photos
  • Audio and video recordings
  • Letters and diaries
  • Plea Bargain or Plea Deal

Using Google

Searching by Name and Source Type

Put the person's name in quotes and then follow it with the type of type of source you are interested in.
For example: “ted bundy” archives.

Limiting your search to Government Websites

Add site:.gov as part of your search string to search only government web sites.
For example: "Ted Bundy" letters site:.gov.

Searching by Alias

In some cases, the criminal's nickname may have been more widely known than the criminal's actual name.
For example: "Green River Killer".