CJ 4111 Serial Killers

Professor Traci Welch Moritz

Public Services Librarian

Heterick Memorial Library

What we will do today

• Constructing a research strategy

• Selecting best resources

• How to use resources

• Primary vs secondary vs tertiary

• Evaluating internet resources

How to access resources

The assignment

• Select a serial killer

• write a paper that discusses the killer's biographical history

• criminal history

• motivation to commit the crimes

• victim selection process

• apprehension and/or legal proceedings

My favorite serial killer

Biographical information

• Wikipedia + other free online sites

• Oxford Reference online

• VERIFYVERIFYVERIFY

What about the internet?at about the web?

Research Tools -- Internet

Google and Wikipedia aren’t evil, just use them for the correct purpose in your research.

Critically analyzing web sources

• Currency

• Relevance/Coverage

• Authority

• Accuracy

• Purpose/Objectivity

• Timeliness of the information.

• Depth and importance of the information.

• Source of the information.

• Reliability of the information

• Possible bias present in the information.

Web Resources• See Research Guide for vetted resources• Check with your professor to justify their inclusion• If okay, be sure to cite them correctly

SEARCH

What is included?

• POLAR• Article-level searching for all EBSCO

databases• Article-level searching for a variety of

other databases: JSTOR, Hoover’s, AccessPharmacy, etc.

• Title-level searching for most other databases: IEEE, CIAO, Proquest Nursing & Allied Health

• OhioLink central catalog

Results: Full Text, Polar

Results: OhioLink

Results: Find It @ ONU

Results: ILL

Facets: Limit Your Results

Things to Remember

• Facets are your Friend: After you search, limit your results to what you really want

• A tool not a solution: This is not the solution to everything

• Ask the librarians for help

• There will still be some small changes coming

ONU ID is Library Card

Off-campus access to all resources and requesting OhioLINKs will require typing in First and Last Name and all 11 digits of ONU ID.

Primary v. Secondary Resources

• What is a primary source?

• The definition of a primary source varies depending upon the academic discipline and the context in which it is used.

 • In the humanities, a primary source could be defined as

something that was created either during the time period being studied or afterward by individuals reflecting on their involvement in the events of that time.

Scholarly v. Popular Periodicals

Academic Search Complete/Masterfile Premier

LEXIS-NEXIS

Subject Specific Resources

• Criminal Justice Abstracts

• JSTOR

• Gender Studies

• SocIndex

• Social Science citations index

Criminal Justice Abstracts

At the library homepage, click on Databases - Alphabetical & Subject Listing

Click on criminal justice subject link

Click on Criminal Justice Abstracts

Type subject in search boxQuick Search

Narrow by date if you choose

Click on the button

JSTOR

Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

• Use when you need a book or article that is not available online, not owned by ONU or available via OhioLINK

• No charge/ limit on requests

• Most requests take 5-7 days to fill

• Use ILL form on library web pages.

Help/Instruction

• Ask at the Front Desk• Phone the Reference Desk – 419-772-

2185 (see library page for available hours)

• Contact by E-mail reference@onu.edu

• t-moritz@onu.edu

• Use Chat Help feature or the IM

QUESTIONS?