LibGuides: Library Resources for Criminal Justice Capstone: Finding Criminal Justice Information Online

Website Evaluation Criteria

Almost anyone can have a web page. So some information on the Web is biased, undocumented, or just plain wrong. You will need to evaluate web sites for accuracy, audience, authority, currency, objectivity, and purpose. Here is a checklist you can use:

Accuracy:

Does the author cite reliable sources for his or her facts?
How does the information compare with that in other works written about this topic?

Audience:

Who do you think the author/s of the web site are trying to reach?
Is there a particular group or segment of society that the author/s are targeting?

Authority:

What are the author's qualifications for writing on this subject?
Is he or she connected with an organization that has an established reputation?

Currency:

Does the web site include a publication date or "last updated" date?

Objectivity:

Is the author affiliated with a particular organization that might have a bias?

Purpose:

Is the author's purpose to inform, e.g. provide new information, current events, etc?
Is the author's purpose to explain, e.g. describe a process, teach, etc?
Is the author's purpose to persuade, e.g. change your mind, convince you to buy, etc?

Criminal Justice Information Websites

American Factfinder (now called Data.Census.gov)
Provides access to Census Bureau data, including data on population, economic, education, business, housing, income & poverty, and more.
Bureau of Justice Statistics
Collects and analyzes information on crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operation of justice systems at all levels of government.
Congress.gov (Formerly THOMAS)
Library of Congress web site that provides full text of bills, resolutions, and laws as well as tracking legislation through the Congressional process.
Data.Census.Gov (Explore Census Data)
Provides access to Census Bureau data, including data on population, economic, education, business, housing, income & poverty, and more.
Foreign Governments
Northwestern University's list of links to official websites of national governments. Contains links to other countries' justice departments and other justice related entities.
Homeland SecurityDigital Library
The Homeland Security Digital Library (HSDL) is the nation's premier collection of homeland security policy and strategy related documents. It supports local, state and federal analysis and decision-making needs and assists academics of all disciplines in homeland defense and security related research. It provides quick access to important U.S. policy documents, presidential directives, and national strategy documents as well as specialized resources such as theses and reports from various universities, organizations and local and state agencies. The resources are reviewed and selected by a team of homeland security researchers and organized in a unique homeland security taxonomy. HSDL content includes state-of-the-art multi-media offerings and other valuable assets identified by CHDS master's degree participants and instructors. Courtesy of the Naval Postgraduate School.
National Criminal Justice Reference Service
NCJRS is a federally funded resource offering justice and substance abuse information to support research, policy, and program development worldwide.
National Institute of Corrections Digital Resources Library
NIC's Digital Resources Library covers over 3,000 items, accessible online, that have been produced by NIC or other sources. You can use the search engine on the right or browse through categories.
The US Department of State: Countries
Country profiles and information from the State Department.
Choose Countries & Areas from the top menu
USA.gov
USA.gov is the official U.S. Government portal to 47 million pages of government information, services, and online transactions. The site offers a powerful search engine that searches every word of every U.S. government document in a quarter of a second or less. USA.gov also features a topical index, online transactions, links to state and local government, options to contact your government, and other tools so you don't have to know the name of the government agency to get the information you want anytime you want it. The Spanish Site is GobiernoUSA.gov, formerly FirstGov en español.gov.