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CRJU 1310: Introduction to Criminal Justice (Oliver)

Conducting Pre-Research

After choosing a topic (or maybe even before!), do some preliminary research. 

Read a few articles or websites on your topic. This helps you understand your topic more fully, and gives you ideas for search terms you can use. I recommend starting with resources like OneSearch, Google, and encyclopedias.

OneSearch

Search your topic in OneSearch and definitely read the START YOUR RESEARCH encyclopedia entry

 

Google

Do a quick search in Google. Switch to News to read the most recent headlines on your topic.  Gather basic information from a Wikipedia article.  Look for search results from reliable sources, like the government:

 

Wikipedia

You can even skim a Wikipedia article for ideas. Just do not use Wikipedia as a source!!

Take a look at the Contents section. This can give you ideas for which direction you want to take your own research. 

Also skim over the References or External links section to find other, more credible, sources. 

Very Short Introductions

These e-books provide quick introductions to criminal justice topics:

Databases