Criminal Justice

This page will provide you with some tips and tricks to make your research a breeze! If you still can't find what you need, please don't hesitate to contact the library! You can find our contact information and more on the Get Help page.

To get you started, here are some general search strategies:

Keyword Strategies

Use these keywords in a general search in any one of our recommended databases or inside DragonQuest:

• Natural Surveillance AND CPTED
• Access control in crime prevention
• Territoriality in crime prevention
• Crime Control Theory
• Community Safety Principles
• CPTED Safety Audit
• Lighting AND CPTED
• Crime and Physical Environment
• Crime and Public Spaces
• Crime Prevention AND Subways

Subject Strategies

Searching for results by subject heading, rather than by keywords, can help you focus your search in new directions. Consider these subject search options:

• Crime prevention and architectural design
• Crime prevention planning
• Environmental Security
• Electronic Surveillance
• CPTED
• Access Control
• Perception of Security
• Community Safety
• Lighting Design
• Smart Lighting

The following image shows you how to change your search to a subject search by using the dropdown menu inside DragonQuest:

Research Starters

Need some extra guidance? Try a Research Starter:

• Crime prevention

• Routine Activity Theory

• Pickpocketing

• Vandalism

• Uniform Crime Reports

• National Crime Victimization Survey

• Social Disorganization Theory

• Deterrence Theory

• Victimology

• Fear of Crime

What is a Research Starter?

Research Starters are encyclopedia entries, so they are more of an "idea gathering" mechanism than a scholarly source to support your stance on an issue. They provide you with background information on a broad topic and highlight keywords you can use and/or links to source material to get you started on your research. 

Narrowing DragonQuest Search Results

If you'd like to know how to narrow down your DragonQuest list to only full text, peer reviewed, or specific types of resources, we recommend the following tutorial:

Need help writing your literature review?

Check out our Literature Reviews guide for tips for locating and creating Literature Reviews, as well as some examples!

If you'd like additional guidance on using Academic Writer, we recommend the following tutorial: