Criminology is the study of crime, criminal behaviour, and how society responds to it. It draws from disciplines such as law, sociology, psychology, and political science to understand the causes and impacts of crime, as well as crime prevention and justice systems.
It often involves analysing the criminal justice system, law enforcement practices, sentencing, corrections, and policy development.
Criminology resources
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Criminal justice abstracts via EBSCO This link opens in a new windowInternational journals, books, reports, dissertations and unpublished reports.
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PsycINFO This link opens in a new windowResearch on criminal psychology, behaviour, and mental health.
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Australian Institute of CriminologyAustralia's national research and knowledge centre on crime and justice.
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NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research | Lawlink NSWOfficial source of NSW crime statistics.
Research into crime and criminal justice and evaluation of initiatives designed to reduce crime and re-offending.
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Sage Criminology & Criminal Justice video collection This link opens in a new windowTutorials, case studies, and films covering all branches of the criminal justice system. Topics include the criminal investigation process, forensic science, correctional facilities and the court system.
Tips for research
Use interdisciplinary sources
Criminology overlaps with law, sociology, psychology, and political science. Use databases from these disciplines to capture different perspectives.
Check for grey literature
Search government and NGO (non-government organisation) websites to find reports, statistics, law reforms, policies, etc.
Use keywords and filters
Start with broad keywords, then refine your search using filters offered in databases for more relevant results. Learn more on how to break down your research question to identify the keywords.
Follow citation trails
Track useful research by exploring the references in articles or using the Cited by feature in databases to find more recent work on the topic.
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