Criminology

Criminology databases

Multidisciplinary databases

Research question

Defining key concepts

Example: Experiences of partner violence during pregnancy

Download work sheet for key concept (word)

Search techniques

This section describes methods you can use to search more efficiently and gives you guidance on:

• including synonyms in your search block
• combining your concepts in a search strategy
• searching for phrases
• searching for alternative word endings and spellings

Search operators - Boolean operators

Use search operators, like OR to include synonyms, to create your search blocks, and AND to combine your search blocks into your search strategy.

Include synonyms with OR

experiences OR perceptions

• retrieves any of the search terms in the statement
• widens the search to ensure you don't miss studies
• your key concepts and their synonyms combined becomes your search block

Combine search blocks with AND

pregnancy AND violence

• retrieves all of the concepts in the statement
• narrows the search and makes it more focused
• your search blocks combined together becomes your search strategy

Phrase searching

"intimate partner violence"

• searches a specific phrase
• excludes records where the search terms aren't written as a phrase
• narrows the search and makes it more focused

Truncation

pregnan*

• Often done with an asterisk (*)
• searches for word variations - example above searches both pregnant and pregnancy
• widens the search to ensure you don't miss studies

Create database account – save searches and articles

Create an account - Criminology Collection

Click "Create My Research Account" and then complete the registration. The database account is free of charge.


 

Save articles

Check the box to the left of each reference. Then click on the dots to the right of each reference, you can choose several references at the same time. Choose "Save to my research account".

You can also mail the article, click the envelope in the same menu.

Save your search

• Click "Save search/alert"
• Create a name and click "Save"
• The searh is saved on your account, click on the symbol below: