Creator: Dulcie Beauregard
Search Strategies
Search Engines to check out:
Crime Library Resource:
Keywords and terms to search:
"True Crime" / "Crime"
The perpetrator of the crime you are searching
The offense for the crime you are searching
The verdict for the crime you are searching
The place of the crime you are searching
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Brief Overview
It's no question that Americans are fascinated with crime. Dahmer- Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story was one of the most streamed Netflix shows of all time following its release in 2022. The American news circuit swarmed the famous Gabby Petito case for months following her disappearance in August of 2021. Ted Bundy is a name that everyone knows.
Whether it's good or bad, people love to consume stories and retell those associated with crime. This guide is designed to explore the narrative of true crime and its phenomena in America in an elective undergraduate class. Access to resources that delve into the world of true crime, its meanings in popular culture, and the lasting impact of said crimes and their publicity are available here. This a space for students to investigate true crime stories themselves and question why crime holds such gravity as a theme through the websites, articles, books, dissertations, and more listed here. Do the retelling of horrendous crimes glorify them in some way, or is it important to tell such tales in order to prevent future crimes? Maybe this topic is of interest just because it’s so unbelievable to the average Joe. You can decide for yourself after taking the course and looking at the resources.
What is True Crime?
"By its most common definition, ‘true crime’ is a non-fiction genre of popular media that concerns real-life crimes. The focus of a work of true crime may be a single case – often a murder, disappearance, sexual assault or other violent crime – or the collective acts of a single criminal. Emphasis is placed on the presentation of facts and, where possible, the establishment of a chronology of events that took place during the crime."
Sullivan, O. (2023, February 28). The Triumph of True Crime Media. Lawyer Monthly | Legal News Magazine. https://www.lawyer-monthly.com/2023/02/the-triumph-of-true-crime-media/#:~:text=Bloody%2C%20disturbing%20and%20fascinatingly%20personal,the%20perpetrators%20of%20violent%20crime.
The Basics: Uncovering America's Obsession with Crime
Crime in America- the Statistics
Databases to Search
- Criminal Justice DatabaseWith coverage from 1981 to present, this database provides full-text articles on criminology, law enforcement, criminal law, criminal justice, corrections and more. U.S. and international scholarly journals, dissertations, crime reports and blogs, research material, correctional trade publications, and research on crime and crime trends are available here. The database is an excellent resource for those wanting to find information on cases or criminal material in general.
A help module for this database is available here.
- Criminology: A SAGE Full-Text CollectionThis database provides the full text of 17 journals on criminology that are published by Sage and its publishing partner. International research on criminal justice and criminology is provided through access to journals, books, and other digital products. Law, forensics, incarceration, victimology, and other topics can be explored here. The database is a useful and broad tool for those intending to research criminology.
For search tips provided by Sage Journals click here.