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Criminology

Research Tips

Before You Begin - A Checklist

To successfully find information you will need:

  • a well-defined topic
  • a keyword list with at least 3-4 main keywords to use in your search
  • a list of questions to answer or an "information wishlist"
  • an understanding of the kind of items you hope to find (academic? media? reports?)
  • places to search

Strategy

Example
 Use "quotation marks" for exact-phrase searching
  • "video games"
  • "British Columbia
  • "freedom of the press"
  • "needle exchange"
Search for keywords within specific fields - use the drop-down list beside the search box.
  • Title
  • Subject Terms
  • Journal Title
  • Abstract
 Use suggested topics, subjects and thesaurus terms for more refined searching  
 Use the available limiter options (left side of results page)
  • Full Text (excludes books)
  • Peer Reviewed (Scholarly) Articles (excludes books)
  • Publication Date
  • Format
  • Subject
  • Geography
Use narrower keywords
  • video games > first person shooters
  • safe-injection sites > Insite
  • Vancouver > Hastings Street, Downtown Eastside
Check "Books & Media" to find just books, ebooks and media  

Strategy

Example
 Use "OR" to look for versions of the same concept (synonyms, related words)
  • child OR youth OR teen
  • safe-injection OR "needle exchange" OR Insite
  • Vancouver OR "British Columbia" OR "Lower Mainland"
  Use * [shift+8] after a word's root to search all endings
  • Canad* = Canada, Canadian, Canadians, Canadiana
  • "video gam*" = video game, video games, video gaming
  Use broader keywords
  • video games < media < entertainment
  • safe-injection < harm reduction policies < drug addiction
Uncheck “CapU Library Collections and Subscriptions” in Discovery
 

 

If you find an item we don't have, get it via interlibrary loan.

Many CapU Library online resources (databases, electronic books) want to authenticate you to ensure you're a CapU student before giving you access. When you try to access these resources off-campus, and occasionally when you are on campus, the CapU account login page will appear.

Just enter your CapU Network ID:

username: firstnamelastname
password: CapU password

Forgot your password?

If you are asked to log in to a page that doesn't have the CapU logo, something has gone wrong. Contact us to help sort it out.

There is no charge to bring in any article or book from outside CapU Library.

Remember to plan ahead - it can take a few days or a few weeks to get your item, depending on availability.

Did you know you have borrowing privileges at other universities? 
Visit the Library Services counter to get a reciprocal borrowing card and start taking books out from UBC LIbraries, SFU Library and more!

Search Discovery

Discovery is the Library's one-search experience. Find articles, books, films, music and more!

Suggested Databases

The scholarly databases below are more specialized than the Library's general Discovery search, and typically focus on a single field or related areas of research. If appropriate, try searching for your keywords in multiple databases to get a range of results.