CCJ 3350 - CCJ 3350 - Understanding Serial Killers Through Criminology - Research Guides at Saint Louis University Libraries

Start your search by gathering background information on your selected serial killer. While you don't want to use Wikipedia as a source for your paper, it can be an excellent place to gather useful information such as all the pseudonyms and nicknames a killer was known by and basic facts such as when and where they were active. This information will be useful in searching for scholarly sources to make sure you don't miss anything relevant. Comprehensive Wikipedia articles will also include a references list with books, news articles, and other sources that you may be able to cite in your paper.

Some serial killers have a lot written on them, and some have significantly less. Resources on this page are not comprehensive, and your CCJ Librarian, Rebecca Hyde can assist you If you have trouble finding the resources you need. Please reach out early in the process for assistance.

Books

Search for books using the Saint Louis University Libraries' Catalog. If you are having trouble finding books with the information you need, also search the MOBIUS Catalog. this includes many other Missouri libraries, and books can be delivered directly to Pius Library. Books requested through MOBIUS may take 7-14 days to arrive, so request them early.

Start your search in the catalog with your killers name and any variations. Only books that are specifically about your killer or with content notes in the catalog are likely to show up in these keyword searches. Many additional books may have chapters on the person you're looking for. Use subject headings to find all books on a topic. This may also be useful for finding discussions of criminological theories. Here are some links to relevant subject headings:

Many books on serial killers and murders may discuss theory, but the following online encyclopedias are excellent places to look up specific theories.

Encyclopedia of Criminological Theory by Francis T. Cullen (Editor); Pamela K. Wilcox (Editor)
Call Number: Online Book
ISBN: 9781412959186
Publication Date: 2010
The Encyclopedia of Crime and Punishment by Wesley G. Jennings (Editor); George E. Higgins (Associate Editor); Mildred M. Maldonado-Molina (Associate Editor); David N. Khey (Associate Editor)
Call Number: Online Book
ISBN: 9781118519714
Publication Date: 2016

SLUth - Search Plus This link opens in a new window
Searches over 100 of the Library's databases including Criminal Justice Abstracts, JSTOR, HeinOnline (for law reviews), PubMed, and many more.
Sociological Abstracts This link opens in a new window
1952-present. Abstracts and indexes the international literature in sociology and related social and behavioral science disciplines. Covers journals, book, book chapters, dissertations, and conference papers.
Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
Excellent source for Law Review articles & news. To search law review articles select "Law Reviews" under guided search.This database is also a good source for news articles.
APA PsycINFO (1967 - present) This link opens in a new window
Search the index and abstracts in this database for the professional and academic literature of psychology and related disciplines. This may contain scholarly articles related to the psychology of the serial killer you're studying, or serial killers in general.
Google Scholar @ SLU This link opens in a new window
Google Scholar includes the largest database of scholarly articles and materials, but sometimes it includes unpublished works that look scholarly, such as student papers posted online but never published. This can be a great place to search if you have trouble finding scholarly sources on your serial killer, but be sure to double check you are using a source published in a scholarly journal or book.

While not all scholarly articles are peer reviewed, this gives a quick overview of what peer reviewed is and why it is important.

News Articles

Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
Nexis Uni provides access to full-text of local, national, and international news sources back to about the 1980s or 1990s depending on the source.
Washington Post (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
1987-present. Search just the Washington Post in ProQuest.
ProQuest Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Search across the following historical newspapers at one time: Chicago Defender (July 1909-1975), Chicago Tribune (1849-1996), St. Louis Post-Dispatch (1874-2003), and The New York Times (1851-2016).

Google News
Google News aggregates many smaller local newspapers not included in library databases. This include small town papers, as well as smaller papers in large metro areas. Generally includes articles from last 10-15 years.
Additional Newspaper Resources
Link to comprehensive list of SLU's newspaper databases.

Other Resources

Academic Video Online (AVON) This link opens in a new window
Access to over 70,000 videos covering a range of subject areas, including many documentary and news shows. You can create and embed clips into presentations within the database. You will need to create a free username and password to do this.
Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Collection of reference books, many with relevant entries for background on your groups serial killers. Search by both given name and variations.

FBI Records: The Vault
The FBI's Electronic Reading Room of declassified documents focuses on investigations internal to the U.S., so look here if your serial killer was active in the U.S. You may find investigation files and or evidence from prosecution here.
Search USA.gov
Search USA.gov searches .gov, .mil, .us and selected other domains that include official local, regional, state and federal government agencies as well as quasi governmental agencies such as the Smithsonian. Search for official information from St. Louis City or other localities around the country.

CCJ 3350 - Understanding Serial Killers Through Criminology

Serial Killer Database

Your Librarian

Example Books

APA Style & Citing Your Sources

Books

Scholarly Articles

News Articles

Other Resources