I chose the topics; The Impact of Childhood Trauma on Crime And The Effect of Mental Health
Courts on the Recidivism of Mentally III Offenders.
To determine the best ways to search for articles relevant to a study or dissertation on this
topic, one should start by identifying the most appropriate databases to search. Some commonly
used criminology and criminal justice databases include Criminal Justice Abstracts, National
Criminal Justice Reference Service Abstracts, and ProQuest Criminal Justice (McHugh & Weiss,
2022). Once the appropriate databases have been identified, it is essential to use a combination of
keywords and controlled vocabulary (i.e., subject headings) to conduct a comprehensive search.
For example, relevant keywords might include "criminal behavior," "delinquency," "crime
prevention," and "recidivism" (McHugh & Weiss, 2022). It is also essential to use Boolean
operators (i.e., AND, OR NOT) to refine the search and consider limiting it to peer-reviewed
articles and/or a specific publication date range.
Another important consideration is to review the reference lists of relevant articles to
identify additional sources that may not have been captured in the initial database search. It may
also be helpful to contact experts in the field or attend relevant conferences to identify new or
emerging research in criminal behavior (Rocque & Maruschak, 2022). Overall, it is essential to
search strategically.
References
McHugh, R. K., & Weiss, R. D. (2022). Substance use disorder and criminal behavior.
Psychiatric Clinics, 45(1), 135-146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psc.2021.09.008
Rocque, M., Posick, C., & Maruschak, L. M. (2022). The intersection of mental health and
criminal behavior: A research agenda for criminology. Journal of Criminal Justice, 80,
101878. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2021.101878
