Subject and Course Guides: Criminology & Criminal Justice: Background Information

What is background information?

Background information provides a general overview of and context for a research topic, event, or policy. Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, and other reference sources are a great place to find important vocabulary and concepts, relevant names of people or places, and dates of specific events. Data and statistics are also considered background information and can help determine things like prevalence. What these have in common is that they give you the big picture before you start digging into the scholarly research.

These resources are especially helpful during the idea generation stage. Finding good background information on a general topic can help you turn that topic into a research question.

They will also help you determine what vocabulary and background concepts you will need to identify relevant peer-reviewed sources in the databases and identify more specific areas of your topic that you may want to research further.

Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, and other Reference Sources

Routledge Handbook of Public Criminologies by Kathryn Henne (Editor); Rita Shah (Editor)
Publication Date: 2020
Featuring contributions from scholars from across the globe, Routledge Handbook of Public Criminologies is a comprehensive resource that addresses the challenges related to public conversations around crime and policy.
Encyclopedia of Criminological Theory by Francis T. Cullen (Editor); Pamela Wilcox (Editor)
Publication Date: 2010
Examines the global landscape of all the key theories and the theorists behind them, presenting them in the context needed to understand their strengths and weaknesses.
Criminal Justice and Criminology by James F. Anderson; Laronistine Dyson; Adam Langsam; Willie Brooks
Publication Date: 2007
This dictionary contains criminal justice terms, criminological concepts, and over one hundred cases decided by courts in the federal system, including the United States Supreme Court.
Comparative Criminal Justice by Francis Pakes
Publication Date: 2014
This book offers an accessible introduction to comparative criminal justice and examines and reflects on the ways different countries and jurisdictions deal with the main stages in the criminal justice process, from policing to sentencing.

International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences This link opens in a new window
This landmark work describes the state of the art in all the fields encompassed within the social and behavioral sciences
This landmark 26 volume work describes the state of the art in all the fields encompassed within the social and behavioral sciences. It presents thousands of articles that address topics within fields such as: Anthropology, Archaeology, Clinical Psychology, Community Psychology, Crime and Criminality, Demography, Developmental Psychology, Economics, Gender Studies, Geography, Health, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Justice Studies, Management, Motivational/Emotional Psychology, Personality Psychology and Self, Political Science, Psychiatry, Social Psychology, Sociology, and Urban Studies. It covers overarching topics and methodologies such as institutions and infrastructure, history of the social and behavioral sciences, ethics of research and applications, biographies, statistics, as well as integrative concepts and issues.
CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
Provides reports focused on topics of current interest covering a wide range of social, economic, political, and environmental issues. A great tool to use for discovering research topics and gathering background information.

Data & Statistics

National Archive of Criminal Justice Data
NACJD hosts several large-scale datasets, including the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports (UCR), the FBI's National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), and the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN).
Data.gov
The home of the U.S. Government’s open data

SimplyAnalytics (was SimplyMap) This link opens in a new window
A mapping application that lets users quickly create professional-quality thematic maps and reports using powerful demographic, business, and marketing data. Works best with Firefox or Safari. There are known compatibility issues with Chrome when accessing off-campus or through campus WiFi. NOTE: Only 5 simultaneous users allowed. If experiencing issues accessing while off-campus, please try using the full-tunnel VPN option. See instructions for full-tunnel set up for Pulse Secure.
SimplyAnalytics (was SimplyMap) provides users the most current demographic, business, and marketing data available. It provides the following nation-wide data: Demographic Variables: Population, Age, Race, Income, Ancestry, Marital Status, Housing, Employment, Transportation, Families, and more. Historical census data: including 1980, 1990 & 2000, plus current year census estimates and 5 year projections. Business Variables: Detailed Consumer Expenditure, Business & Employee Counts by Industry (by NAICS Code), Consumer Price Index, Quality of Life & Consumer Profiles, and Market Segments. Life Stage Clusters are a neighborhood classification system based on the crucial factors (84 Possible Life Stages based upon: Age of Head of Households; Marital Status; and Household Income) that determine life's key decisions. EASI/Mediamark Research Inc. (MRI) Propensity Data: Produces current estimates of usage and consumption (propensity) for thousands of very specific and detailed products, including actual brand data, details of frequency of usage, and more; annually prepares estimates for about 3,000+ MRI categories of propensities using updated demographic estimates; and Propensity Data incorporates the following data: Automotive, Beverages, Sports, Ailments/Remedies, Apparel, Appliances, Attitudes/Lifestyles, Baby, Computers, Electronics, Family Restaurants, and Fast Food, Financial, Grocery, Insurance, Internet, Leisure, Media, Personal Care, Pets, Purchasing, Telephony, Travel. Health: Answers to frequently asked questions about disease, health status, doctor visits and more; Health Questions Age 18+ & under 18; and Death Causes Since there is some training required in order to understand a few concepts related to mapping, we highly recommend that you watch our 6 minute tutorial to get the most out of SimplyAnalytics. The tutorial can be accessed by clicking on the "Tutorial" link in the top right corner of SimplyAnalytics.

NOTE: Only 5 simultaneous users allowed.

Try a scoped Google search to find statistical information on governmental website.

Exp. homelessness statistics site:gov