1. SFU Library Resources & Research CRIM 491
Chloe Riley
Liaison Librarian
Criminology, Psychology & Philosophy

2. Outline 1. The Literature Search 2. Where to Search
3. Information Sources
4. Working your Topic

3. Outline 1. The Literature Search 2. Where to Search
3. Information Sources
4. Working your Topic

4. What is a Literature Search?
“A systematic and thorough search of all types of published literature in order to identify as many items as possible that are relevant to a particular topic” (Ridley, 2008).
Systematic = documented, planned, mindful
Thorough = considered scope of research (broader, narrower and related concepts), inclusive of possibly contradictory data
All types of info = range of databases, books, government documents, statistics, theses, etc.

5. The Literature Search
To identify the field and specific context in which your work is situated.
It can assist you in identifying your approach to the research and the methodology you wish to adopt.
It will help you identify the type of data you might collect and use, sites of data collection, the sample size, and how you might analyze this data.

6. The Literature Search
A means of extending your understanding of the key concepts, theories, and methodologies in your field.
To find out what others have done in the area so as to avoid duplicating previous work.
Identify key people, organizations, and texts which are relevant to your research.

7. Outline 1. The Literature Search 2. Where to Search
3. Information Sources
4. Working your Topic

8. Where to Search SFU Library: beyond books Notable Resources
Over 2.5 million books (print & ebooks)
98,000 ejournals (and 2500 print)
500+ database subscriptions
GIS data, maps, images, streaming music & movies, video games, etc.
Research data library with specialized datasets
Notable Resources
Subject Research Guides
Publication Type Research Guides
Databases by Subject Area

9. Library Search Catalogue Search Library Databases Google Scholar
Where to Search…?
Library Search
Catalogue Search
Library Databases
Google Scholar

10. Where to Search

11. Library Search Weaknesses: Broadest library search available
Strengths:
Divides search results by info type (books, journal articles, newspaper articles, digital collections, etc.)
One click
Quick way to access library-authored and library-curated content, such as
Summit (SFU’s Institutional Repository)
Library FAQs
Library Research Guides
Weaknesses:
Not robust for topical and advanced info searching
Searches many but not all of the databases
Best for known items

12. Library Search
Searches books, articles, newspapers, etc. PLUS the library’s website (FAQS, Research Guides, Summit, etc.)
Criminology 220

13. Where to Search

14. Catalogue Search Strengths:
Very comprehensive scope of books, articles, maps, movies, government reports, etc.
Search for books and articles at the same time.
Use of filters to narrow down results, including by date, type of resource, subject, etc.
Excellent for book searching, including searching by subject headings
Good for: do we have it?
Weaknesses:
Searches many but not all of the databases
May need to sign in with SFU Computing ID to see all results
Not mapped to a specific discipline, with associated beneficial search limiters and features (controlled vocabularies, populations, etc.)

15. Catalogue Search

16. Google Scholar Strengths The most popular articles are revealed
A high volume of articles are retrieved
Google's algorithm helps compensate for poorly designed searches
A search feature allow you to search within articles citing your key article
Excellent for known-item searching and locating a quote/citation
Helpful when searching for very unique terminology (e.g., places and people)
Times cited tool can help identify relevant articles
Extensive searching of non-article, but academic, information items: universities' institutional repositories, US case law, grey literature, academic websites, etc.

17. Google Scholar Weaknesses
Database is not mapped to a specific discipline
Much less search sophistication & manipulation supported
Psuedo-Boolean operators
Mysterious algorithms & unknown source coverage at odds with the systematic and transparent mandate of a literature review.
Searches are optimized (for example, by your location), thwarting the replicability criteria of most literature review types
Challenging to run searches that involve common words (e.g., art + time)
New articles might not be pushed up if the popularity of an article is emphasized
Missing deep data (e.g., statistics)
Indexes articles from predatory publishers
Articles are not usually free – just the indexing

18. Subject-Specific Databases
Examples: PsycINFO, Criminal Justice Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts, Westlaw Next Canada
Strengths
Mapped to a disciplinary perspective
High quality metadata
Search limiters unique to discipline, allow fine-tuning of search results
Search history and search sets
Subject headings that are key to a lit review
Weaknesses
More time-consuming to use
More particular / technical to search (varies)

19. Outline 1. The Literature Search 2. Where to Search
3. Information Sources
4. Working your Topic

20. Information Sources: Databases
The usual suspects for Crim articles:
Criminology databases:
Criminal Justice Abstracts
National Criminal Justice Reference Service
Other discipline-based databases:
PsycINFO
Sociological Abstracts
General databases:
Academic Search Complete
Web of Science
The above are great for journal articles.

21. Information Sources Encyclopedias
Overview of your topic / the “big picture”
Particularly helpful if working outside your area
Written with the academic in mind, often by specialists in the field
Use the bibliography to identify key articles, studies, authors, etc.
Examples:
Gale Virtual Reference Library (multiple subject areas)
Sage eReference(about 15 Crim titles)
Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice

22. Information Sources Oxford Bibliographies Online
Subject module for Criminology
Written and peer-reviewed by international experts
“Crime Victims' Rights Movement”
“Routine Activity Theories”
Provides:
Key Readings
Ideas for keywords for searching

23. Information Sources Additional sources PC Census or SimplyAnalytics
Canadian Electronic Library (includes Canadian Public Policy documents)
PsycTESTS
Sage Research Methods Online
Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR)

24. Outline 1. The Literature Search 2. Where to Search
3. Information Sources
4. Working your Topic

25. Working Your Topic Do you have a subject area, topic, or thesis?
Subject is very broad: freedom of information, Charter of Rights and mental illness
Topic adds a second concept, explores a relationship or question between the two concepts: testosterone levels in sex offenders, effect of art therapy on recidivism
Thesis: you are making an assertion and providing supportive evidence: Art therapy decreases recidivism in young offenders

26. Working Your Topic
Next, think of synonyms, plus broader, narrower and related terms for each of your concepts: What is the impact of art therapy on recidivism in young offenders?
Art Therapy
Recidivism
Young offenders
Creative Arts Therapy (SH)
Poetry therapy (NT)
Dance therapy (NT)
Recreation therapy (NT)
Educational therapy (RT)
Treatment (BT)
Recidivism (SH)
Repeat offender (key word)
Serial crime (RT)
Juvenile Delinquents (PsycINFO subject heading)
Female delinquency (NT)
Predelinquent youth (RT)
Juvenile gangs (RT)

27. Searching and relevance
6/20/2018
Searching and relevance
Art therapy (a broad “subject”) + something else
Art therapy AND criminals, or Criminals AND recidivism
Art therapy AND recidivism AND young offenders

28. Search strategies Boolean searches Cycling a search
AND / OR searching
Cycling a search
“Pearl growing” or “snow balling”
Keywords vs subject headings
Find articles ABOUT your topic rather than ones that just mention it

29. Boolean searching: AND / OR
A AND B A B
A OR B

30. Boolean searching: AND / OR

31. Boolean searching: AND / OR
Use AND between keywords to find the overlap between them
Example: women AND prison
Use OR between keywords to find results with either word
Example: indigenous OR aboriginal
Use quotation marks to find an exact phrase
Example: “juvenile delinquent”
Use an asterisk (*), a truncation symbol, to find all forms of a root word
Example: devian* includes deviant, deviants, deviance …
Does not work in Google Scholar

32. Cycling a search “Pearl growing” or “snow balling”
Finding better words as you go
In footnotes or reference lists of books & articles
In database metadata (subject headings, etc.)
In a thesaurus
Research is a cyclical process

33. Working with Subject Headings
A systematic, hierarchical, and finite language used for describing subjects/concepts.
Articles and books will usually have 3-8 subject headings assigned to their bibliographic record.
These are provided by real people (as opposed to their robot counterparts).
Subject heading languages will usually be unique to each database
MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) for PubMed
PsycINFO thesaurus for PsycINFO

34. Additional Library Resources
Copyright and your thesis: integrity/copyright/students/thesis
Research Data Management (RDM): management
Research Commons:
Support for qualitative data analysis software (Nvivo), support for GIS, thesis support
Workshops, consultations, online resources

35. Submit your Honours Thesis
You are welcome to submit your Honours Thesis to Summit, SFU Library’s Institutional Repository
Criminology grad theses & dissertations:

36. Help Available TextUs 604.724.5898 Phone 778.782.4345
In person: drop in or book a consultation
AskAway online chat (extended hours, including Sunday evening)
Criminology Liaison Librarian:
Chloe Riley: or