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Forensics

Resources in the field of Forensics

ENF460 Search Strategies

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:

  • Evidence Admissibility AND Trial
  • Admission of Guilt
  • Hearsay Rules of Evidence
  • Evidence Processing
  • Criminal Motive
  • Exclusionary Rule of Evidence
  • DNA Evidence AND Crime scene
  • Impression Evidence AND Crime scene
  • Biological Evidence AND Crime scene
  • “One Party Consent”

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:

  • Forensic Pathology
  • Crime Scenes
  • Searches & Seizures
  • Electronic Surveillance
  • Suppression of Evidence
  • Corpus Delicti
  • Criminal Procedure
  • Forensic DNA
  • DNA Databases
  • Hearsay Evidence

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

Image shows the dropdown menu selection for "SU Subject Terms" in the DragonQuest search area

 


Research Starters

Need some extra guidance? Try a Research Starter:

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:

Academic Writer Help

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