Macdonald-Kelce Library: Criminology: Specialized Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, Reference

Specialized Definitions and Background Information

Sometimes you need a definition, or statistic, or basic fact for you paper that you can't find in a scholarly article. What can make this doubly frustrating is that sometimes you can find the fact in Wikipedia, but you cannot use Wikipedia in your paper. (See Using Wikipedia for more on how to use this popular resource effectively.)

You can find specialized encyclopedia and dictionaries in:

Britannica Academic This link opens in a new window
Offers the complete Encyclopedia Britannica online as well as Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary and Thesaurus.
Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Comprises a wide variety of ebooks on topics such as the arts, education, law, medicine, and religion.
Oxford Reference This link opens in a new window
Access all Oxford's dictionaries, companions, and encyclopedias in one place.
Oxford Reference is a multi-disciplinary database that features a range of short entries, timelines, quotations, and lengthy in-depth reference articles on all topics. Browse by subject or enter a keyword in the search box.

Reference Books

Reference Books include encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other works which function as manuals, guides and overviews of your field. Here are some of the reference books which you will find in the Criminology section, HV6000-HV9000.

Encyclopedia of Crime and Justice eBook

Encyclopedia of Serial Killers, 2nd ed. REF HV6245 .N49 2006

World Police Encyclopedia REF HV7901. W64 2006

Prisons and Prison Systems: A Global Encyclopedia REF HV8665 .R67 2006

Sage Dictionary of Criminology REF HV6017 .S24 2006

Encyclopedia of Race and Crime REF HV6789 .E43 2009

Crime Classification Manual: a Standard System for Investigating and Classifying Violent Crimes REF HV6253 .C75 2013