Criminal justice encompasses the study of crime and punishment including law enforcement and corrections. This guide is created to help you find information related to various aspects of this field.
To get started you need to know:
If you are doing specific research on a crime, criminal, or a segment of law enforcement. More specific assistance will be found in the correctly labeled page.
The case / issue / topic you select can make your projects manageable or... extra difficult! Some factors to consider:
Sometimes, "newer" cases may have more online resources available.
How many journalists, podcasters, YouTubers, etc. have already dug into this case? Are there documentaries? Sometimes the more other people have already investigated, the easier it will be to find sources.
Sometimes cases that occur in big cities are easier to find a paper trail for than cases that occur in smaller locations or rural areas. Some courts have lots of resources to provide transcripts and other legal information; some do not.
When you have some interest in what you're researching, it can be... fun?! However, if you have strong emotional reactions to a research topic, please use caution. You don't want to add extra stress to your research project.
