CJ 101 Introduction to Criminal Justice (Williams)

For students in Michelle Williams' CJ 101

Find Public Opinion & Argument

Using Opposing Viewpoints
  • To find sources in OV, you can carry out a keyword search at the top of the page, or you can select advanced search

  • You can choose "Browse Issues" from the top menu to see a list of topical articles

  •  Issues have multiple, informed sides. Learn more about those perspectives by looking at "Viewpoints". 

  • Just above the results, you can see a list of all the types of sources your search resulted in, such as videos, images, viewpoints, academic articles, etc.

  • This is a great place to search, but be sure to search other databases as well, as the section is limited in Opposing Viewpoints and not all topics will be covered here.


Using CQ Researcher

  • This 'At Issue' (also called Pro/Con) page in a CQ report on restorative justice juxtaposes two opposing editorials on the impact of restorative justice. It asks: "Can it help victims and rehabilitate criminals?"

    • As a side note, as you research, consider the language used in the sources you find and try a range of search terms, including person-first language instead of language that defines someone by a conviction. 

  • Look for these types of pages relevant to your topic.

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restorative justice pro/con in cq

Limiting to editorials in the databases

Editorials are a great way to find reasoned opinions on current controversial topics. Use these specialized searches to find full-text editorials in the library's databases. 


In Academic Search Complete

In this database you can search using a keyword, and then add "editorials" in as an actual Subject Term (selecting "SU Subject Terms" from the "Select a Field (optional)" dropdown as shown in the image below:

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screen shot of a sample search in Ebsco's Academic Search Complete


In ProQuest

In this database, you can use the "Document Type" limiter as outlined in the text and images below:

  • First, type in your search terms
    • Be sure to use quotation marks around specific terms to search the terms as a single concept, rather than two independent words
  • Here you can also limit to "Full-text" - so you will only see results for articles that you can immediately download. 
  • Based on your topic, you may need to also limit by date to find the most recent articles. Choose an appropriate date range.

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screenshot of Proquest, showing the search boxes, highlighting the "full-text" box to check, and the date range option to narrow your results if needed. 


  • Then, as shown in the image below, scroll down on the advanced search page to limit by "Document Type" - choosing "Editorials" from the options before searching.

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screenshot of the "document type" limiting option on the advanced search page of ProQuest

Searching the web

Consider the links below as sources to find editorials online

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image of an article from debatabse

Alternative Press