This page will help you get more out of your Library resources for your assignments, projects, dissertations, and theses in Criminology.
REMINDER: Download the University VPN system to access these resources while you're studying off campus.
Book an Appointment
If you would like to book a one-to-one online session with Mystery, please have a look at this calendar, find an appointment that works best for you, click on the time, and save this to your calendar. This will prevent anyone else from taking that appointment.
If you would like to book a one-to-one session with Sharon, please email sharon.bittner@port.ac.uk.
Plan Your Topic
Now that you are in university, your lecturers are expecting you to use academic/scholarly resources. This means that you will need to learn how to use the library resources effectively as relying on Google will not get you a decent grade. Work through the following steps to become acquainted with our resources:
Step 1 - Watch the Doing a Literature Search video (shows you how to break down your research question and teaches you advanced search techniques that can be applied in the legal databases and the Library's Discovery Service)
Step 2 - Watch the The New Discovery Service video (this is KEY for successful research at the university level)
Step 3 - Watch all four of the Finding Resources in Lexis and Westlaw videos (you will have to utilise both legal databases in for your work)
Step 4 - Book an appointment with your librarians so you can ask questions, gain clarity on certain resources, and receive feedback
PLEASE NOTE: These are assignment calculators offered by other universities. They may offer materials that are unavailable at UoP. Please get in touch with Mystery or Sharon for support.
Falmouth University & University of Exeter Assignment Calculator
Studiosity’s Assignment Calculator
OSCOLA Referencing (LAW ONLY)
The Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA) is designed to help the author to achieve consistency and to make life easier for the reader.
Referencing Tips & OSCOLA (video)
This video will cover referencing tips for students at any level. It will also show students where to go to find more help with referencing.
OSCOLA FAQ
Includes updates for changes to citation of EU and retained EU Legislation following Brexit and other changes to citation of EU cases and legislation. Also provides examples for:
- A source cited in a secondary source
- A judgment citing another judgment
- eBooks
- Book reviews
- Radio programmes
- Speeches
- Dictionaries
- Podcasts, YouTube etc
Note: The suggestions on this page have not yet been discussed and approved by the OSCOLA editorial board.
Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations
This database allows you to search for the meaning of abbreviations for English language legal publications, from the British Isles, the Commonwealth and the United States, including those covering international and comparative law.
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Use this hierarchy to determine the best law report.
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The OSCOLA Guide (4th ed) does not include international law. Use the guidance from the 2006 edition.
Citing Primary Sources - Statutes (video)
Includes information about pinpointing certain sections, section abbreviations, and where to find this information in the document.
Citing Primary Sources - Cases (video)
Includes information about reported and unreported cases, the legal report hierarchy, the Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations, cases with and without a neutral citation, when to use [square] or (round) brackets, how to find law reports in a legal database, and citing judges.
Citing Secondary Sources - Books (video)
Includes information about whole books, books with one author/editor, books with more than one author/editor, corporate authors, no authors, and book chapters.
Citing Secondary Sources - Journal Articles (video)
Includes information about articles with one or more author, using [square] or (round) brackets, using the Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations to abbreviate journal titles (when necessary), and referencing online journal articles.
Citing Secondary Sources – Webpages and Blogs (video)
Includes information about citing websites with different types of authors or no authors and citing blogs with authors or no authors.
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Our Academic Skills Tutors can help you in any area related to your academic writing and study skills.
Business and Law students only
The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (SCCJ) students please get in touch with the Learning Support Tutors.
APA 7 Referencing (LAW WITH BUS, CRIM, OR IR)
If you are taking modules from the Business School or the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, you will need to use APA 7 and NOT OSCOLA. Please confirm with your tutor which citation style you need to follow BEFORE you start writing. APA 7 and OSCOLA are two, very different referencing styles and it is very easy to become confused with both. Please contact Mystery or Sharon early on to get help before you start researching/writing.
Referencing Tips (video)
This video will cover referencing tips for students at any level. It will also show students where to go to find more help with referencing.
Academic Writer Tutorial: Basics of Seventh Edition APA Style (interactive webpage)
By the end of this tutorial, you should be able to understand and implement the following basic elements of APA Style: paper elements, format, and organization academic writing style grammar and usage bias-free language guidelines mechanics of style tables and figures in-text citations, paraphrasing, and quotations reference list format and order.
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The annotations draw attention to relevant content and formatting. All references to specific sections of the APA 7 guide can be found for free on Ref@P.
Avoiding Plagiarism
There are two common types of plagiarism: (a) improper use of someone else’s words and (b) improper use of someone else’s ideas. Both forms of plagiarism involve using someone else’s words or ideas without appropriately acknowledging the author or source.
Creating an APA Style Reference List Guide
The reference list contains all the works you cited in the text of your paper. Use this checklist to make sure you have all the required information and necessary formatting.
In-Text Citations
Complete the following checklist for each sentence in your paper that relies on another source. Remember to cite all ideas, findings, results, or other information that is not your own and is not common knowledge.
Six Steps to Proper Citation Infographic
Use this infographic to follow steps to developing good citations for your essay.
Introductory Library Videos
The New Discovery Interface
Get ready to uncover how to use the new Discovery Service from the Library. Here you’ll see a brief overview of how the new interface looks and how you can use it for your research.
Doing a Literature Search
This video covers the five steps of the literature search process. The video also covers some search techniques and recommends other videos for further viewing.
Commercial Awareness
A quick video going over the basics of how to stay relevant in your chosen sector.
Effective Reading
When and how you should skim, scan, and read in depth. Useful techniques for research and weekly readings.
Introduction to Librarians, Library Website, and Law Subject Pages
Introduces the subject librarians, the key features of the library's website, as well as how to find the subject pages.
Reading Lists
Covers everything related to your reading list, including how to access lists via Moodle and the library website and what to do if you're using the VPN or not using the VPN.
Referencing Tips & OSCOLA
This in depth video provides information on OSCOLA referencing. Topics include: referencing tips, recommended reading, OSCOLA tools, footnotes, bibliographies, pinpointing, and repeating citations.
Please see the OSCOLA Videos section of the Law Subject Page for additional videos.
How to Find Cases in Lexis and Westlaw
Demonstrates how to find UK cases using the two legal databases, how to locate permalinks, and also provides some referencing information.
How to Find Commentary in Lexis and Westlaw
Mentions the different kinds of commentary, demonstrates how to find commentary using the two legal databases, how to locate permalinks, and also provides some referencing information.
How to Find Journals and Journal Articles in Lexis and Westlaw
Demonstrates how to find journals and journal articles using the two legal databases, how to locate permalinks, and also provides some referencing information.
How to Find UK Statutes in Lexis and Westlaw
Demonstrates how to find UK statutes using the two legal databases, how to locate permalinks, and also provides some referencing information.
Databases
Introduction to Legal Databases (video)
This quick video will describe what legal databases are available from the library and where to access the legal databases. The video will also discuss why it's important to become familiar with and utilise all of the legal databases.
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Primary and secondary legal resources, plus UK newspapers.
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Primary and secondary legal resources plus EU materials.
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British and Irish case law & legislation, European Union case law, Law Commission reports, and other law-related British and Irish material.
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Canadian Legal Information Institute. What will you find on CanLII: legal cases, legislation, and commentary.
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The online gateway to EU Law. It provides the official and most comprehensive access to EU legal documents including treaties, legal acts from EU institutions, preparatory documents related to EU legislation, EU case-law, international agreements, and EFTA documents.
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The National Archives service provides public access to Court Judgments and Tribunal decisions.
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European Court of Human Rights Case Law.
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Cover cases decided by the following courts and tribunals: The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, The Court of Justice of the European Union, The Court of Appeal (Civil Division), The Court of Appeal (Criminal Division), The Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court (including the Divisional Court), The Chancery Division of the High Court, The Family Division of the High Court, The Court of Protection, The Employment Appeal Tribunal, The Upper Tribunal, The Court Martial Appeal Court, The Consistory Court, The Court of Ecclesiastical Causes Reserved, The Chancery Court of York
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The official report of all parliamentary debates.
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Cases and journal articles from international jurisdictions.
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HeinOnline
A collection of various legal sources. Useful for law, international relations, political and historical studies but with strong American bias although it does include the English Reports, covering important cases reported before the Official Law Reports started in 1865 and Statutes of the Realm 1235-1713
How to Find Cases in Lexis and Westlaw
Demonstrates how to find UK cases using the two legal databases, how to locate permalinks, and also provides some referencing information.
How to Find Commentary in Lexis and Westlaw
Mentions the different kinds of commentary, demonstrates how to find commentary using the two legal databases, how to locate permalinks, and also provides some referencing information.
How to Find Journals and Journal Articles in Lexis and Westlaw
Demonstrates how to find journals and journal articles using the two legal databases, how to locate permalinks, and also provides some referencing information.
How to Find UK Statutes in Lexis and Westlaw
Demonstrates how to find UK statutes using the two legal databases, how to locate permalinks, and also provides some referencing information.
You can maximise your legal research by becoming certified with the top legal databases (see below). Having these credentials always looks good on a resume!
Reliable Legal Resources
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The official report of all parliamentary debates.
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Use this service to find contact details for court and tribunal venues.
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Includes information on judgments, orders, and sentencing remarks.
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All criminal cases start in a magistrates’ court and normally handles cases known as ‘summary offences’ but it can also deal with some of the more serious offences.
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Find decisions on Employment Tribunal cases in England, Wales and Scotland from February 2017 onwards.
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Hears cases where a child who is the subject of legal proceedings must be protected and this protection is not possible under the Children Act 1989. See also Family Division of the High Court (GOV.UK) for more information.
When researching newspapers, use the Media Bias/Fact Check website to ensure you are consulting factual and credible sources.
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PressReader lets you access UK and international newspapers, plus a wide range of magazine content. Everything is full colour with archives varying in length depending on the publication.
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Command and act papers from the UK Government.
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The statutory independent body to keep the law of England and Wales under review and to recommend reform where it is needed.
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The supreme legislative body for the UK, British Crown Dependiencies, and British Overseas Territories.
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Committees consider policy issues, scrutinise government work, expenditure, and examine proposals for primary and secondary legislation.
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The UK’s largest independent producer of official statistics. Responsible for collecting and publishing statistics related to the economy, population and society at national, regional, and local levels.
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Data from a number of years which you can download and manipulate into graphs etc.
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The latest incarnation of the above
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UK National Statistics: Publication Hub
(Searchable in EBSCO Discovery)Official statistics from the UK Government.
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Australia’s national statistical agency. An official source of independent, reliable information.
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The home of the U.S. Government’s open data.
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The United States' primary source for criminal justice statistics. The mission of BJS is to collect, analyze, publish, and disseminate information on crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operation of justice systems at all levels of government.
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Ireland's national statistical office and our purpose is to impartially collect, analyse and make available statistics about Ireland’s people, society and economy.
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The agency ensures Canadians have the key information on Canada's economy, society and environment that they require to function effectively as citizens and decision makers.
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non-ministerial body responsible for criminal prosecutions.
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ministerial department responsible for immigration, security, and law and order.
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a Parliamentary Select Committee with remit to consider human rights issues in the UK.
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ministerial department responsible for areas of constitutional policy, human rights law and information rights law.
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The supreme legislative body for the UK, British Crown Dependiencies, and British Overseas Territories.
International Law
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The Council of Europe is the continent's leading human rights organisation. It includes 47 member states, 27 of which are members of the European Union.
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Complete list of the Council of Europe's treaties.
Part of the Council of Europe, which is a different legal system to that of European Union.
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The text of the Convention is presented as amended by the provisions of Protocol No. 14 (CETS no. 194) as from its entry into force on 1 June 2010.
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Available in print in the Law Reference Collection.
Part of the Council of Europe, which is a different legal system to that of European Union.
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Official website.
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European Court of Human Rights Case Law.
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European Court of Human Rights Case Law.
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Primary and secondary legal resources plus EU materials.
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British and Irish case law & legislation, European Union case law, Law Commission reports, and other law-related British and Irish material.
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Official website. Includes case law.
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The online gateway to EU Law. It provides the official and most comprehensive access to EU legal documents including treaties, legal acts from EU institutions, preparatory documents related to EU legislation, EU case-law, international agreements, and EFTA documents.
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Primary and secondary legal resources, plus UK newspapers.
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Primary and secondary legal resources plus EU materials.
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Australia's online free-access resource for Australian legal information. AustLII maintains its own collections of primary materials: legislation and court judgments ("case law") and secondary materials: commentaries and summaries on the law.
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The authorised whole-of-government website for Commonwealth legislation and related documents. It contains the full text and details of the lifecycle of individual laws and the relationships between them.
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Provides access to court judgments from all Canadian courts, including the Supreme Court of Canada, federal courts, and the courts in all Canada’s provinces and territories.
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The online source of the consolidated Acts and regulations of Canada.
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Provides public access to official publications from all three branches of the Federal Government.
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Includes an extensive database of federal cases.
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Provides open access to legal materials. Resources include: annotated version of the constitution, federal statutes, Supreme Court decisions, CFR, and more.
Dissertations and Theses
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A database of digitised UK doctoral theses offering free online access to theses of participating Higher Education institutions.
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Europe E-theses Portal.
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Portsmouth Law School Theses
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PhD level theses, including Prof Docs and MPhils, written by Portsmouth students, printed copies - 2013 and earlier.
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Library and Archives Canada database.
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National Library of Australia’s Trove database.