Green River LibGuides: Criminal Justice Subject Guide: Find Topic Overviews & Introductions in Reference

Criminal Justice & Law Encyclopedias and Reports

Law and CJ Academic Encyclopedias
CQ Research CJ & Law Reports

Academic Encyclopedias

Use academic encyclopedias to find foundational information on legal and criminal justice and injustice issues.

Gale eBooks: Law & Criminal Justice
Sample Titles: Gale Encyclopedia of American Law (2022), Criminal Justice in America (2021), First Amendment Freedoms (2021), American Prisons and Jails (2019), and much more

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Search for authoritative information in subject encyclopedias selected for courses and programs at Green River College

Reference in Ebsco -- Ebooks Community College Collection
Search within 3000+ reference books across the disciplines, including the humanities, social sciences, sciences, technology, and health.
Reference in ProQuest Ebook Central
A collection of searchable academic reference sources in multiple disciplines

CQ Researcher Reports

CQ Researcher reports cover current national and international issues. Reports provide a solid introduction to a range of topics, including Law and Justice.

Open CQ Research and click on the Law & Justice tile to browse a range of reports. Be sure to check the date for currency!

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Browse by topic or keyword to find information covering a broad range of important issues in health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology, and the economy. Weekly reports dating back to 1923.

Why start with reference?

Use Background Info as a Starting Point

An overview of your broad topic area helps you understand...

what the key issues are and how you may want to refine your topic

definitions of key concepts and terminology in the field

who are the stakeholders (the groups or individuals this topic concerns)

a context of how your topic relates to the other issues that surround it

a historical perspective on your topic

specialized vocabulary or search words that are used in your field (you will use these words for searches later in your research process)