Evaluating web resources
Consider the following questions when gathering information from web resources for research assignments.
Authority | Who is the author, publisher, source, or sponsoring organization? What experience or credentials does the author have? Are they an expert?
Purpose | Why does the information exist? Is the information fact or opinion? Is it to inform, teach, sell, entertain, or persuade? Does it appeal to emotion?
Relevance | Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question/s? Are you comfortable citing this source in your research assignment?
Date | When was the information published or posted? Does your topic require current information?
Accuracy | Where does the information come from? Is there supporting data or evidence? Can you verify the information or claim with another source
Recommended Criminal Justice Websites
- Bureau of Justice StatisticsThe Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) is the United States' primary source for criminal justice statistics.
- FBI Uniform Crime ReportsConceived to meet the need for reliable uniform crime statistics for the nation, the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program has been the starting place for law enforcement executives, students of criminal justice, researchers, members of the media, and the public at large seeking information on crime in the nation.
- Florida Department of Law EnforcementThe FDLE site provides information about all aspects of law enforcement in Florida. Most useful might be the departmental publications, outlines of programs designed for local agencies, and the searchable systems and alerts.
- Justice Research and Statistics AssociationA non-profit organization that conducts multi-state research on common areas of criminal justice, their website offers a large, searchable database of their reports and findings. Each publications is available in full-text and linked to the relevant law or government agencies involved.
- Sourcebook of Criminal Justice StatisticsOver 100 sources of statistics are compiled here to provide over 1,000 different tables of criminal justice statistics. Topics include: criminal justice characteristics, public opinion, victims of crime, arrests and seizures, prosecution and sentencing, parole, jails and prisons, and the death penalty. Also includes the statistics from U.S. Bureau of Justice
Statistics.
Online Videos and Podcasts
- Multimedia From NIJStreaming interviews, podcasts and webinars on current criminal justice topics from the National Institute of Justice.