Last revised: August, 2008
NCJRS (National Criminal Justice Reference Service) Material
Scope: This guide describes how to locate publications from the National Criminal Justice Reference Service. If you have any questions or would like further assistance, please contact the U.S. Government Information, Maps & GIS Services staff at govdocs@umd.edu or 301.405.9165.
Table of Contents
Overview
The National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) was created by the National Institute of Justice in 1972 to provide information for five Department of Justice Agencies. The NCJRS network provides indexes, abstracts, and documents in many areas of criminology and criminal justice. For more information about NCJRS, visit their About NCJRS site.
NCJRS Abstract Database
NCJRS Abstract Database
http://www.ncjrs.gov/abstractdb/search.asp
NCJRS' free online database indexes over 195,000 journal articles, books, research reports, hearings, and audio-visual materials on criminology and criminal justice back to 1972. It includes citations to items published by the Department of Justice, other government agencies, and commercial publishers.
Locating an NCJRS Document
Publications found in the NCJRS Abstract Database can be found in one of several ways:
- Full text online:
Many of the documents published since 1995 are available online and are accessible from links in the NCJRS Abstract Database records. - In printed form in the UM Libraries:
Many of the items listed are books, government documents, or articles in journals owned by the libraries. To check whether an NCJRS item is held by the libraries, look up the title in the Catalog. Note: For journal articles, be sure to search for the journal title instead of the article title. - On microfiche in McKeldin Library:
Many NCJRS publications are part of a microfiche set in the Periodicals collection, 1st floor of McKeldin. The call number for the set is McKeldin Periodicals Rm - Microfiche HV 6016.U55. Find the specific publication you are interested in by using the NCJ number, noted in the NCJRS Abstract Database record (see below for an example). The microfiche set includes many of the NCJRS items with NCJ numbers between 1-158893 (1972 through 1996). - By Interlibrary Loan from NCJRS:
Request to borrow any publications that are not available in the UM Libraries from NCJRS. UM affiliates can request these publications through the Interlibrary Loan department.
Sample NCJRS Entry
