Improving Criminology & Criminal Justice Research Guides: What Is and What Could Be

• In Event: The Incorporation of Innovative Resources in the Classroom for the Enhancement of Student Learning

Abstract

Research guides are designed to provide university students, faculty, and staff with a subject-specific entryway to an academic library. Ideally, criminal justice and criminology research guides are succinct, intuitive, provide students easy access to a plethora of relevant information, and include guidance about the value and limitations of the available information. Yet, research shows that general subject research guides are seldom used, cluttered, outdated, and complicated. The best practice literature on research guides will be reviewed and integrated with results from a content analysis of research guides at academic and research libraries at higher education institutions across the United States and Canada. Suggestions will be offered on how these resources could be improved to better meet the needs of users.

Authors

• Marwin Britto, University of Saskatchewan

• Sarah Britto, University of Regina