Journal and magazine articles usually provide the most current information on a topic. Journal articles are more scholarly while magazine articles tend to be shorter and more general. Newspaper articles are the most current of the three periodical sources.
To find articles on your topic, use one of the online databases listed below. These databases usually provide full-text articles. For a successful search, you may need to use both subject keywords and specific names of legal or law enforcement agencies, justice issues, or individuals.
The following two databases are excellent sources of “pros and cons”, covering all sides of controversial topics:
Keywords are the words you type into a search box to search for information on your topic. The words you use to describe your topic may be different from the words used in the library catalog (OneSearch) and library databases. For example, another way to describe teenagers might be adolescents.
Watch the video below for a short tutorial on keywords, including some good strategies for combining them effectively. If you have trouble finding information on your topic, ask a librarian for help choosing successful keywords.