Best Databases to Get Your Research Started
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CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
Covers 1923 to the present. This weekly publication gives background information on current and controversial issues. Unbiased coverage of health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology and the economy.
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Opposing Viewpoints This link opens in a new windowProvides an excellent first-step in researching any current social issue. Includes pro-con articles, opinion pieces, newspaper pieces, scholarly articles and information from many other types of sources, all full text.
Best Databases for Finding Forensic Science Articles
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Biological Abstracts This link opens in a new windowIndexes original research articles in biological and biomedical journals. Includes traditional areas of biology such as botany, zoology, and microbiology, as well as related fields such as biomedicine, agriculture, pharmacology and ecology, interdisciplinary fields.
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Criminal Justice Abstracts This link opens in a new windowIndexes and summarizes international journal articles, books, and reports (governmental and non-govenmental) on a wide range of topics on criminal justice. Covers crime trends, crime prevention & deterrence, juvenile delinquency, juvenile justice, police, courts, punishment and sentencing.
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Medline Plus This link opens in a new windowMedlinePlus is a goldmine of good health information from the world's largest medical library, the National Library of Medicine. Health professionals and consumers alike can depend on it for information that is authoritative and up to date. MedlinePlus has extensive information from the National Institutes of Health and other trusted sources on over 650 diseases and conditions.
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PsycINFO This link opens in a new window
PsycINFO, from the American Psychological Association (APA) contains citations and summaries of scholarly journal articles, book chapters, books, and dissertations in psychology and related disciplines, dating from the 1800s. PsycINFO is indexed with controlled vocabulary from APA's Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms.
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PubMed This link opens in a new windowCitations and abstracts from biomedical journals published in the U.S. and 70 other countries, dating back to the mid-1960's. Most records are from English-language sources or have English abstracts.
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PubMed Central This link opens in a new windowPubMed Central (PMC) is the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) free digital archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature.
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ScienceDirect This link opens in a new windowFull-text articles, primarily science, technology and medicine (STM). Covers a few journals in the arts, humanities and social sciences; also includes some reference e-books.
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SocINDEX with FullText This link opens in a new windowThis database provides full text journal article coverage for core journals in sociology and related disciplines including criminology, demography, gender and ethnic studies, social psychology, socio-cultural anthropology, social work and education. Full text coverage for books and conference papers.
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Web of Science (and ESI & JCR) This link opens in a new window
Web of Science is a citation database that covers three major tools: Science Citation Index Expanded, Social Sciences Citation Index, and Arts & Humanities Citation Index. The complete database covers thousands of scholarly journals from 1975 to the present across a broad range of disciplines. Included in the subscription: Journal Citation Reports and Essential Science Indicators (ESI). Also included is the Grants Index which is found under the Web of Science core collection drop down menu.
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Westlaw This link opens in a new window
Legal research including cases, statutes, case law, court rules and regulations, and briefs for all U.S. jurisdictions. Also contains newspapers, magazines, journals, newsletters, government press releases, and transcripts of television and radio shows and congressional testimony. Coverage varies by source.
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Wiley Online Library This link opens in a new window
Multidisciplinary collection of e-journals and ebooks covering life, health and physical sciences, social science, and the humanities.
Relevant Journals
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Forensic ExaminerThe Forensic Examiner® is the official peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Forensic Examiners International, the non-profit complementary division to the American College of Forensic Examiners Institute. Link leads to free previews of the magazine.
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Forensic Science CommunicationsForensic Science Communications (FSC, ISSN 1528-8005) is a peer-reviewed forensic science journal published quarterly in January, April, July, and October by FBI Laboratory personnel. It is a means of communication between forensic scientists. A publication of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); the current issue, as well as back issues are available freely and digitally via the link provided.
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Forensic Science InternationalThis journal is available in the SJSU database SCIENCE DIRECT.
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Journal of Forensic SciencesThe official journal of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. This journal is available in the SJSU database WILEY ONLINE LIBRARY. Please note that when off-campus, in addition to signing in with your Tower ID and password, you will also need to create a free account with WILEY ONLINE LIBRARY to access the articles in that database.
Forensic Science Associations (Mouse-over for Descriptions)
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American Academy of Forensic ScienceAs a professional society dedicated to the application of science to the law, the AAFS is committed to the promotion of education and the elevation of accuracy, precision, and specificity in the forensic sciences.
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American Forensic AssociationA professional association of teachers who seek to empower students through argument and advocacy.
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Association for Crime Scene ReconstructionACSR aims to gain explicit knowledge of the series of events that surround the commission of a crime using deductive and inductive reasoning, physical evidence, scientific methods, and their interrelationships.
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Association of Firearm and Toolmark ExaminersIn recognition of the need for the interchange of information, methods, development of standards, and the furtherance of research, a group of skilled and ethical firearm and/or toolmark examiners met together regularly prior to 1969. In that year they formed the Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners, recognizing that firearm and toolmark identification, though involving similar disciplines, requires separate and distinct basic knowledge.
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Association of Forensic DNA Analysts and AdministratorsThe Association of Forensic DNA Analysts and Administrators (AFDAA) is a nonprofit organization composed of professionals engaged in the forensic aspects of DNA analysis for the judicial system. Members include forensic DNA analysts, supervisors and administrators. AFDAA provides a forum for the exchange of ideas and information among forensic DNA scientists.
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California Association for CriminalistsThe California Association of Criminalists (CAC) is a professional membership organization of forensic scientists founded in 1954 by sixteen members from various agencies throughout California.
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Forensic Association of Computer TechnologistsThe Forensic Association of Computer Technologists was formed in 1993 as a not-for-profit association for the purpose of training law enforcement in the scientific techniques of examining computers.
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Forensic Expert Witness AssociationAn Association of Consultants Providing Forensic Services.
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International Association for IdentificationThe International Association for Identification is a professional membership organization comprised of individuals worldwide who work in the field of forensic identification.
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International Association of Computer Investigative SpecialistsIACIS® is an international volunteer non-profit corporation composed of law enforcement professionals dedicated to education in the field of forensic computer science.
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International Association of Forensic Mental Health ServicesIAFMHS focuses on four major areas: Clinical forensic psychiatry and psychology including family violence; Administrative/legal issues; Research in forensic mental health (civil/criminal), violence, and abuse; Training and education.
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International Association of Forensic NursesIAFN is an international membership organization comprised of forensic nurses working around the world and other professionals who support and compliment the work of forensic nursing
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International Association of Forensic ToxicologistsTIAFT groups over 1400 members from all regions of the world who are actively engaged in analytical toxicology or allied areas with the aims of this association are to promote cooperation and coordination of efforts among members and to encourage research in forensic toxicology.
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National Association of Forensic EconomicsForensic economics is the scientific discipline that applies economic theories and methods to the issue of pecuniary damages as specified by case law and legislative codes.
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National Association of Medical ExaminersThe National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) is the national professional organization of physician medical examiners, medical death investigators and death investigation system administrators who perform the official duties of the medicolegal investigation of deaths of public interest in the United States