literature review topics criminal justice

Criminal Justice Sciences

• Recommended Databases
• Recommended Journals
• Recommended Books
• Reference Resources
• Open and Accessible Materials
• Faculty Resources
• Statistical Sources
• Law Enforcement Exam Practice Materials
• Use Criminal Justice Abstracts
• Use Nexis Uni
• Use HeinOnline
• Navigate Westlaw
• Evaluate Articles
• Source Management Tools
• Annotated Bibliography
• Literature Review
• Useful Links

What's on this Page

This page is meant to help you create a literature review for academic projects and publications. Each tab outlines a different aspect of what a literature review is and how to build one. If you need help finding sources for your literature reviews, check out How To pages.

How to Build a Literature Review

• What is a Lit Review?
• Why Write a Lit Review?
• Building a Lit Review
• Prepping for a Lit Review
• Basic Example
• Other Resources/Examples

What is a Literature Review?

A literature review is a comprehensive summary and analysis of previously published research on a particular topic. Literature reviews should give the reader an overview of the important theories and themes that have previously been discussed on the topic, as well as any important researchers who have contributed to the discourse. This review should connect the established conclusions to the hypothesis being presented in the rest of the paper.

What a Literature Review Is Not:

• Annotated Bibliography: An annotated bibliography summarizes and assesses each resource individually and separately. A literature review explores the connections between different articles to illustrate important themes/theories/research trends within a larger research area. 
• Timeline: While a literature review can be organized chronologically, they are not simple timelines of previous events. They should not be a list of any kind. Individual examples or events should be combined to illustrate larger ideas or concepts.
• Argumentative Paper: Literature reviews are not meant to be making an argument. They are explorations of a concept to give the audience an understanding of what has already been written and researched about an idea. As many perspectives as possible should be included in a literature review in order to give the reader as comprehensive understanding of a topic as possible.

Why Write a Literature Review?

After reading the literature review, the reader should have a basic understanding of the topic. A reader should be able to come into your paper without really knowing anything about an idea, and after reading the literature, feel more confident about the important points.

A literature review should also help the reader understand the focus the rest of the paper will take within the larger topic. If the reader knows what has already been studied, they will be better prepared for the novel argument that is about to be made.

A literature review should help the reader understand the important history, themes, events, and ideas about a particular topic. Connections between ideas/themes should also explored. Part of the importance of a literature review is to prove to experts who do read your paper that you are knowledgeable enough to contribute to the academic discussion. You have to have done your homework.

A literature review should also identify the gaps in research to show the reader what hasn't yet been explored. Your thesis should ideally address one of the gaps identified in the research. Scholarly articles are meant to push academic conversations forward with new ideas and arguments. Before knowing where the gaps are in a topic, you need to have read what others have written.

What does a literature review look like?

As mentioned in other tabs, literature reviews should discuss the big ideas that make up a topic. Each literature review should be broken up into different subtopics. Each subtopic should use groups of articles as evidence to support the ideas. There are several different ways of organizing a literature review. It will depend on the patterns one sees in the groups of articles as to which strategy should be used. Here are a few examples of how to organize your review:

Chronological

If there are clear trends that change over time, a chronological approach could be used to organize a literature review. For example, one might argue that in the 1970s, the predominant theories and themes argued something. However, in the 1980s, the theories evolved to something else. Then, in the 1990s, theories evolved further. Each decade is a subtopic, and articles should be used as examples. 

Themes/Theories

There may also be clear distinctions between schools of thought within a topic, a theoretical breakdown may be most appropriate. Each theory could be a subtopic, and articles supporting the theme should be included as evidence for each one. 

If researchers mainly differ in the way they went about conducting research, literature reviews can be organized by methodology. Each type of method could be a subtopic,  and articles using the method should be included as evidence for each one.

Preliminary Steps for Literature Review

• Define your research question
• Compile a list of initial keywords to use for searching based on question
• Search for literature that discusses the topics surrounding your research question
• Assess and organize your literature into logical groups
• Identify gaps in research and conduct secondary searches (if necessary)
• Reassess and reorganize literature again (if necessary)
• Write review

Here is an example of a literature review, taken from the beginning of a research article. You can find other examples within most scholarly research articles. The majority of published scholarship includes a literature review section, and you can use those to become more familiar with these reviews.

Source:  Perceptions of the Police by LGBT Communities

• ISU Writing Assistance The Julia N. Visor Academic Center provides one-on-one writing assistance for any course or need. By focusing on the writing process instead of merely on grammar and editing, we are committed to making you a better writer.
• University of Toronto: The Literature Review Written by Dena Taylor, Health Sciences Writing Centre
• Purdue OWL - Writing a Lit Review Goes over the basic steps
• UW Madison Writing Center - Review of Literature A description of what each piece of a literature review should entail.
• USC Libraries - Literature Reviews Offers detailed guidance on how to develop, organize, and write a college-level research paper in the social and behavioral sciences.
• Creating the literature review: integrating research questions and arguments Blog post with very helpful overview for how to organize and build/integrate arguments in a literature review
• Understanding, Selecting, and Integrating a Theoretical Framework in Dissertation Research: Creating the Blueprint for Your “House” Article focusing on constructing a literature review for a dissertation. Still very relevant for literature reviews in other types of content.

A note that many of these examples will be far longer and in-depth than what's required for your assignment. However, they will give you an idea of the general structure and components of a literature review. Additionally, most scholarly articles will include a literature review section. Looking over the articles you have been assigned in classes will also help you.

• Sample Literature Review (Univ. of Florida) This guide will provide research and writing tips to help students complete a literature review assignment.
• Sociology Literature Review (Univ. of Hawaii) Written in ASA citation style - don't follow this format.
• Sample Lit Review - Univ. of Vermont Includes an example with tips in the footnotes.
• << Previous: Annotated Bibliography
• Next: Useful Links >>
• Last Updated: Apr 18, 2024 2:37 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.illinoisstate.edu/cjs

Additional Links

• Directions and Parking
• Accessibility Services
• Library Spaces
• Staff Directory

University Library

• Research Guides

Criminology & Criminal Justice

• Literature Reviews
• Getting Started
• News, Newspapers, and Current Events
• Books and Media
• Journals, Databases, and Collections
• Data and Statistics
• Careers and Career Resources for Criminology and Social Justice Majors
• Annotated Bibliographies
• APA 6th Edition

What is a Literature Review?

The scholarly conversation.

A literature review provides an overview of previous research on a topic that critically evaluates, classifies, and compares what has already been published on a particular topic. It allows the author to synthesize and place into context the research and scholarly literature relevant to the topic. It helps map the different approaches to a given question and reveals patterns. It forms the foundation for the author’s subsequent research and justifies the significance of the new investigation.

A literature review can be a short introductory section of a research article or a report or policy paper that focuses on recent research. Or, in the case of dissertations, theses, and review articles, it can be an extensive review of all relevant research.

• The format is usually a bibliographic essay; sources are briefly cited within the body of the essay, with full bibliographic citations at the end.
• The introduction should define the topic and set the context for the literature review. It will include the author's perspective or point of view on the topic, how they have defined the scope of the topic (including what's not included), and how the review will be organized. It can point out overall trends, conflicts in methodology or conclusions, and gaps in the research.
• In the body of the review, the author should organize the research into major topics and subtopics. These groupings may be by subject, (e.g., globalization of clothing manufacturing), type of research (e.g., case studies), methodology (e.g., qualitative), genre, chronology, or other common characteristics. Within these groups, the author can then discuss the merits of each article and analyze and compare the importance of each article to similar ones.
• The conclusion will summarize the main findings, make clear how this review of the literature supports (or not) the research to follow, and may point the direction for further research.
• The list of references will include full citations for all of the items mentioned in the literature review.

Key Questions for a Literature Review

A literature review should try to answer questions such as

• Who are the key researchers on this topic?
• What has been the focus of the research efforts so far and what is the current status?
• How have certain studies built on prior studies? Where are the connections? Are there new interpretations of the research?
• Have there been any controversies or debate about the research? Is there consensus? Are there any contradictions?
• Which areas have been identified as needing further research? Have any pathways been suggested?
• How will your topic uniquely contribute to this body of knowledge?
• Which methodologies have researchers used and which appear to be the most productive?
• What sources of information or data were identified that might be useful to you?
• How does your particular topic fit into the larger context of what has already been done?
• How has the research that has already been done help frame your current investigation ?

Examples of Literature Reviews

Example of a literature review at the beginning of an article: Forbes, C. C., Blanchard, C. M., Mummery, W. K., & Courneya, K. S. (2015, March). Prevalence and correlates of strength exercise among breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer survivors . Oncology Nursing Forum, 42(2), 118+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.sonoma.idm.oclc.org/ps/i.do?p=HRCA&sw=w&u=sonomacsu&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA422059606&asid=27e45873fddc413ac1bebbc129f7649c Example of a comprehensive review of the literature: Wilson, J. L. (2016). An exploration of bullying behaviours in nursing: a review of the literature.   British Journal Of Nursing ,  25 (6), 303-306. For additional examples, see:

Galvan, J., Galvan, M., & ProQuest. (2017). Writing literature reviews: A guide for students of the social and behavioral sciences (Seventh ed.). [Electronic book]

Pan, M., & Lopez, M. (2008). Preparing literature reviews: Qualitative and quantitative approaches (3rd ed.). Glendale, CA: Pyrczak Pub. [ Q180.55.E9 P36 2008]

Useful Links

• Write a Literature Review (UCSC)
• Literature Reviews (Purdue)
• Literature Reviews: overview (UNC)
• Review of Literature (UW-Madison)

Evidence Matrix for Literature Reviews

The  Evidence Matrix  can help you  organize your research  before writing your lit review.  Use it to  identify patterns  and commonalities in the articles you have found--similar methodologies ?  common  theoretical frameworks ? It helps you make sure that all your major concepts covered. It also helps you see how your research fits into the context  of the overall topic.

• Evidence Matrix Special thanks to Dr. Cindy Stearns, SSU Sociology Dept, for permission to use this Matrix as an example.
• << Previous: Annotated Bibliographies
• Next: ASA style >>
• Last Updated: Jan 17, 2024 12:31 PM
• URL: https://libguides.sonoma.edu/CCJS

Writing in Criminal Justice: Writing a Literature Review

• SSC 215: Home
• How to search library databases
• How to find books
• How to find articles
• Should I Trust Internet Sources?
• What Is A Peer-Reviewed Article?
• Writing a Literature Review
• Citing Sources
• Finding Books
• Finding Articles
• Selected Online Resources for SSC215
• Experimental (Empirical) Studies
• Library Research Guides

Development of a Literature Review

Keep some steps in mind when beginning your work on a literature review:

• What is my thesis? What is the central idea I am trying to prove to my reader?
• What materials should I look at? Remember a literature review is a focused look at a limited amount of material. You do not have to examine every article ever written on your topic.
• Do the materials I have chosen to write on really help to focus the reader to understand the topic I am writing about

Writing a Literature Review: Step by Step

Literature Reviews: An Overview

Tips for Writing a Literature Review

What is a Literature Review?

A literature review is an overview of literature published on a topic, issue, or theory. It can cover a wide variety of materials including but not limited to scholarly articles, books, dissertations, reports, conference proceedings, etc. The purpose of a literature review is to describe, summarize, and evaluate the works being examined for the review.

How you construct a literature review and the specific outline of it can vary depending on what your professor has laid out for you in your assignment. The review can be just a summary of sources on the subject you are writing about or it could be an examination of the material on your chosen topic. It can also be an analysis of previous research in an in-depth manner or just trace the development of a field of study over time. A good literature review should ultimately be a guide for its audience, giving them a solid idea about what extent and limits of the research has been done so far.

Structure of a Literature Review

When writing a literature review, consider first what it is you want to write about. Your topic summarized in one sentence is your thesis . Next you should think about how you want to organize your material. What is the most important thing you want to get across in your presentation of resources?

The most basic organization of a literature review is to put it together like a general academic paper with an Introduction , Body , and Conclusion – a beginning where you lay out to the reader what you are doing, a middle where you discuss the literature in question, and an ending where you sum up what you have been trying to prove. Another way to organize your paper is by theme or method or chronology .

• A paper organized by theme deals with sources that focus on a specific topic or issue. For example a review by theme may deal with police with one section on one police department and a second on a different police department. But all the sources ultimately deal with the same topic, in this case the police.
• A review organized by method looks at the methods the original researcher used in writing the literature you are reviewing. A review by method may group literature such as case studies in one section and interviews in another.
• And a chronological organization looks at the literature by when it was written. A chronological review would look at material in the form of a timeline such as debates on a subject that happened in one year followed by a debate on the same subject at a later date.

A third way to organize your paper is by author or philosophy .

• A review organized by author usually focuses on prominent researchers in the field you are examining. For instance if you were writing about physics, you could group your articles by prominent physicists such as articles by Isaac Newton and his findings and materials by Albert Einstein and his findings.
• A review organized by philosophy looks at the argument being made in the materials under examination. For instance if one group of articles is about capitalism and another group is about communism, you may want to group them by what the article is trying to prove than by who wrote it or when it was written.

Keep This in Mind

When you begin to work on your literature review, keep in mind the following ideas:

• What question and/or problem are you trying to answer? What is the thesis you are trying to prove?
• Are you being specific about your topic? Is it too broad? And if it is can you narrow it down?
• What does the literature say about your topic? Is there agreement or disagreement on the subject?
• << Previous: What Is A Peer-Reviewed Article?
• Next: Citing Sources >>
• Last Updated: Sep 27, 2023 2:25 PM
• URL: https://guides.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/SSC215

• Skip to Guides Search
• Skip to breadcrumb
• Skip to main content
• Skip to footer
• Skip to chat link
• Report accessibility issues and get help
• Go to Penn Libraries Home
• Go to Franklin catalog

Criminology - Research Guide: Sources for Lit Reviews

• Getting started
• Sources for Lit Reviews
• Gray literature collections
• Crime Rates
• Corrections
• Law Enforcement & Courts

Lit Review Sources

Journals featuring literature reviews.

• Annual Reviews Articles are lengthy literature reviews with BIG bibliographies. Useful for both the text summary and the citations for further reading. Includes Annual Review of Criminology , Annual Review of Law and Social Science and Annual Review of Sociology. HINT! Use the "Advanced Search" link in the upper right corner of the startup window. This permits searching in title, abstract, and keywords only and in specific journals.
• Crime & Justice. 1979- . A journal composed of literature review on criminal justice topics, published annually.
• Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science Penn's house journal since 1889, Ann AAPSS publishes single-topic issues six times per year. Recent issues on criminology and criminal justice have been: • Fatal police shootings : patterns, policy, and prevention . Ann AAPSS 687 (January 2020). • Regulating crime : the new criminology of crime control . Ann AAPSS 679 (September 2018). • Migrant smuggling as a collective strategy and insurance policy : views from the margins . Ann AAPSS 676 (March 2018). • The Middle East and regional transition, terrorism, and countering violent extremism : what the next President will face . Ann AAPSS 668 (November 2016). • Tough on crime, tough on families? Criminal justice and family life in America . Ann AAPSS 665 (May 2016). • The great experiment : realigning criminal justice in California and beyond . Ann AAPSS 664 (March 2016).
• Advances in Criminological Theory. 1989- . Print volumes, some e-books. Single-topic volumes.
• Criminal Justice History. 19 vols. 1980-2003. Print only, now ceased. Published by John Jay Press for the Crime and Justice History Group.
• Translational Criminology. 2009- . Published by the Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy, George Mason University. More a report on current research projects in evidence-based crime policy than a journal of literature reviews.
• Sociology of Crime, Law, and Deviance An ebook series, each volume focused on a specific topic. Recent volumes include Methods of Criminology and Criminal Justice Research; Race, Ethnicity and Law; The Politics of Policing; and Punishment and Incarceration : a Global Perspective.

Best practices and systematic reviews databases

• The Campbell Collaboration See The Campbell Library for published systematic reviews of interventions in crime and justice, as well as social welfare, education, and international development. Campbell systematic reviews also appear in the open-access ejournal, Campbell Systematic Reviews .
• CrimeSolutions.gov / National Institute of Justice Web-based clearinghouse of more than 500 evaluated programs and practices.
• Model Programs Guide / Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Identifies evidence-based juvenile justice and youth prevention, intervention, and reentry programs. Provides a finely-detailed topics list.
• What Works in Reentry Clearinghouse / Council of State Governments Scores specific reentry programs and practices for beneficial harmful evidence.
• Evidence-based practice online resources / Justice Research and Statistics Association Link list of government, academic, and nonprofit programs.

Dissertations

Every dissertation should include a literature review, to demonstrate how the dissertation fits into the research landscape.

• ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Searches doctoral dissertations, an excellent source for lit reviews.
• NCJRS Abstracts / National Criminal Justice Reference Service. c.1970- . Describes 220,000+ research reports, journal articles, and government documents relating to crime, law enforcement, and the justice system. Many fulltext documents and US Dept of Justice gray literature. HINT! Use the Advanced Search page's "Source Type" filter option for "Literature review", "Best practice/state-of-the-art review", "Issue overview", "Guideline", "Overview text" and other lit review-like genres. HINT! Use the NCJRS Thesaurus to find subject terms.
• Criminal Justice Abstracts with Full Text. 1968- . Abstracts of the scholarly literature and applied literature on criminology and related disciplines. Many citations also include fulltext. Reflects materials received at the Gottfredson Library (formerly Criminal Justice/National Council on Crime and Delinquency Library), Rutgers University Library, Newark.
• Index to Legal Periodicals (Current & Retrospective). 1908- . An excellent tool for tackling the enormous law review, legal yearbook, bar association, and government legal publications literature from the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. For foreign legal research, consider using Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals (1985- ).
• Sociological Abstracts. 1963- . From across the field of sociology, useful subject terms include "crime rates," "recidivism," "victim offender relations," and "family violence." . Recently absorbed Social Services Abstracts, adding coverage for social work and social services journals.
• Gray Literature Database. (Gottfredson Library of Criminal Justice, Rutgers Univ.) A supplement to Criminal Justice Abstracts , describing technical reports, working papers, government and agency reports, and conference proceedings - that is, information not commercially published - available online or at the Gottfredson Library. CrimDoc is a similar gray literature database from Univ of Toronto.
• HeinOnline Legal research database containing fulltext documents organized into collections. New collections include Gun Regulation & Legislation in America and History of Capital Punishment.
• PsycINFO. 1887- . Published by American Psychological Association. Comprehensive coverage of the psychological research literature. HINT! The Advanced Search page has a "Methodology" search option filter - select "Literature Review" , "Meta Analysis" , and "Systematic Review" .

Guides and Tips for Writing Literature Reviews

• "How to write a literature review" / Andrew S Denney & Richard Tewksbury Journal of Criminal Justice Education 24, 2 (2013): 218-324 (via HeinOnline).
• "Doing a literature review" / Jeffrey W Knopf PS: Political Science & Politics 39, 1 (January 2006): 127-132 (via Cambridge Journals Online).
• Systematic approaches to a successful literature review / Andrew Booth. (SAGE, 2012) Print only.
• The literature review: a step-by-step guide for students / Diana Ridley. (2nd ed. SAGE, 2012) Print only.
• Preparing Literature Reviews in the Social Sciences (Penn Libraries guide) Needs updating, but still useful for suggestions.

Reference works

Reference works make excellent starting points for research; they provide concise articles on key topics by scholars of the field, often accompanied by suggestions for further reading. The sources listed below are print volumes shelved in the Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks , on the first floor of Van Pelt, unless otherwise noted.

• Compendium of Research on violence against women, 1993-2016. (National Institute of Justice, 2017) Annually-updated reference work describing every NIJ-funded research project on violence against women since 1993.

• ASC Division on Corrections & Sentencing Handbook Series Ebook series sponsored by the American Society of Criminology.

• Elsevier's dictionary of criminal science, in eight languages : English/American, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Swedish, and German. Call Number: Available online Publication Date: Elsevier, 1960
• << Previous: Getting started
• Next: Books >>
• Last Updated: Nov 30, 2023 2:38 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.upenn.edu/criminology

CRJU U361 - Criminal Justice Research Methods: Literature Review

• Brainstorming
• Literature Review
• Reference Sources
• Criminal Justice Journals
• Articles & Databases
• Internet Searching
• APA 7th Style Examples
• More about APA 7th Ed.

What is a Literature Review?

A Literature Review is a systematic and comprehensive analysis of books, scholarly articles, and other sources relevant to a specific topic providing a base of knowledge on a topic. Literature reviews are designed to identify and critique the existing literature on a topic to justify your research by exposing gaps in current research. This investigation should provide a description, summary, and critical evaluation of works related to the research problem and should also add to the overall knowledge of the topic as well as demonstrating how your research will fit within a larger field of study. A literature review should offer a critical analysis of the current research on a topic and that analysis should direct your research objective. This should not be confused with a book review or an annotated bibliography both research tools but very different in purpose and scope. A Literature Review can be a stand-alone element or part of a larger end product, know your assignment. The key to a good Literature Review is to document your process.

Literature Review LibGuide

To see the Full Literature Review Guide click here

There is SO much more information on the full LibGuide for Literature Reviews Please make sure to click over to that LibGuide for more examples, explanations, and hints.

Elements in a Literature Review

• Elements in a Literature Review txt of infographic

Critical Evaluation

Process of a literature review.

The process of writing a literature review is not necessarily a linear process, you will often have to loop back and refine your topic, try new searches and altar your plans. The info graphic above illustrates this process.  It also reminds you to continually keep track of your research by citing sources and creating a bibliography.

• Know what the review is for; each assignment will offer the purpose for the review.  For example, is it for “background”, or a “pro and con discussion”, "integration", “summarizing”, etc.
• Create a “search plan”, decide where you will search for information, what type of information you will need.
• Research   - Preform Searches; choose sources and collect information to use in your paper.  Make sure you cite the sources used.
• Think  - Analyze information in a systematic manner and begin your literature review (e.g., summarize, synthesize, etc.). Make sure you cite the sources used.
• Complete  - Write your paper, proof & revise and create your finished bibliography.

Literature Review Places to Look

Help from other universities.

Help and tips in writing a Review of Literature ​

• Learn How to Write a Review of Literature - University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center Learn How to Write a Review of Literature - From the University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center.
• Literature Reviews - UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center
• The Literature Review: A Few Tips on Conducting It
• Writing a Literature Review by Temple University
• << Previous: Brainstorming
• Next: Reference Sources >>
• Last Updated: Mar 18, 2024 2:34 PM
• URL: https://uscupstate.libguides.com/CriminalJusticeResearchMethods

University Libraries

Cjus 4700: research methods in criminal justice: write a literature review.

• Introduction
• Select a Topic
• Search the Literature
• Find Statistics
• Write a Literature Review
• Use APA Style

Literature Review Process online guide

The Literature Review Process guide explains what a literature review is and provides instructions on how to write one.

Books at UNT Libraries

Research Methods

• << Previous: Find Statistics
• Next: Use APA Style >>
• Last Updated: Nov 13, 2023 4:28 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.unt.edu/cjus4700

Additional Links

UNT: Apply now UNT: Schedule a tour UNT: Get more info about the University of North Texas

UNT: Disclaimer | UNT: AA/EOE/ADA | UNT: Privacy | UNT: Electronic Accessibility | UNT: Required Links | UNT: UNT Home

CRJ 400 - Criminal Justice Research Methods

What is a literature review, visualizing a literature review.

• Becoming Familiar with Research about Your Topic
• Finding Books about Criminal Justice Topics
• Criminal Justice Databases for Scholarly Articles
• Databases in Related Fields
• Interlibrary Loan
• Making an APA-Formatted Bibliography in EndNote: Essentials
• Librarian Assistance

• Many thanks to library colleagues at Upland University in South Carolina.
•  CRJU U361 - Criminal Justice Research Methods
• Next: Becoming Familiar with Research about Your Topic >>
• Last Updated: Sep 22, 2023 10:24 AM
• URL: https://libguides.salemstate.edu/CRJ400

50 Great Criminal Justice Literature Review Topics

Hello people! You need to check out good criminal justice literature review topics. It is useful! Find more: https://www.litreview.net/ Read less

Recommended

More related content, what's hot, what's hot ( 20 ), recently uploaded, recently uploaded ( 20 ).

• 1. 5 0 G R E A T C R I M I N A L J U S T I C E L I T E R A T U R E R E V I E W T O P I C S
• 2. 1 Prison Conditions 2 Sex Offenders 3 Criminality causes 4 Racial Profiling 5 Restorative Justice 6 Civil Rights 7 Sexual Crimes 8 Prisoner Abuse 9 Patriot Act & Privacy 10 Recidivism 11 Mental Health 12 Competing justice’s definitions 13 Criminology 14 Prison Writing 15 Domestic Violence 16 Death Penalty 17 Crime in Cinema 18 Incarceration Rates 19 Prisons Architecture 20 Jailhouse Lawyers 21 Prison Rebellions 22 Punishment versus Reform 23 Hate Crimes 24 Prison art 25 Political Prisoners
• 3. 26 Drug War 27 Prison comics 28 Women in Prison 29 Private Prisons 30 Prison Labor 31 Wrongful Conviction 32 Child Abuse 33 Jury Nullification 34 Probation/Parole 35 Sentencing disparities 36 Drunk Driving 37 Fraud 38 Families of Prisoners 39 Criminalization of Poverty 40 White collar crime 41 Judicial Authority 42 DUI policies 43 Mandatory Sentencing 44 Criminal Records 45 Child Protective Services 46 Civilian Review Boards 47 Policing Protest 48 Gang identity 49 Three Strikes Rules 50 Forensics Avail our professional literature review writing services for premium quality criminal justice literature review!

CRJU374: Criminal Justice Research Methods: What is a Literature Review?

• What is a Scholarly Journal?
• What is an Empirical Article?
• What is a Literature Review?
• Statistics & Websites
• APA Citation Style
• Interlibrary Loan & SUNY Resource Sharing
• Ask-A-Librarian

What is a Literature Review or Review Article?

• Fink, A. (1998). Conducting Research Literature Reviews . London: Sage Publications.

According to Arlene Fink,   a literature review is a "systematic, explicit, and reproducible method for identifying, evaluating, and interpreting the existing body of recorded work produced by researchers scholars and practicioners."

• Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1997). Writing narrative literature reviews. Review Of General Psychology , 1(3), 311-320. doi:10.1037/1089-2680.1.3.311

Baumeister and Leary state that, "Literature reviews serve a scientific field by providing a  much-needed bridge between the vast and scattered assortment of articles on a topic and the reader who does not have time or resources to track them down." 

Literature Review Resources

• Literature Reviews from Palgrave Key Concepts: Key Concepts in Business and Management Research Methods Contains: an overview of Literature Reviews and their purpose and methods for creating a Literature Review. This source comes from the perspective of Business and Management research, but contains advice which can be applied broadly.
• Writing a Literature Review from Purdue OWL

Types of Literature Review Articles

Narrative Review - assessment and summary of research completed on a specific topic

Systematic Review-  assesses and summarizes research on a specifc topic using a standardized methodology to gather and evaluate the research studies

Meta-Synthesis-  a qualitative review of research studies which synthesizes information from multiple studies on a specific topic

Meta-Analysis- a quantitative review of research studies which gathers together and analyzes data from multiple studies on a specifc topic

View These Example Articles

• Knowles, S. E., Toms, G., Sanders, C., Bee, P., Lovell, K., Rennick-Egglestone, S., & ... Bower, P. (2014). Qualitative meta-synthesis of user experience of computerised therapy for depression and anxiety. Plos ONE , 9(1), doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0
• Kuss, D. J. (2013). Internet gaming addiction: Current perspectives. Psychology Research & Behavior Management , 6125-137. doi:10.2147/PRBM.S39476
• Sadri, G. (2012). Emotional intelligence and leadership development. Public Personnel Management , 41(3), 535-548. doi:10.1177/009102601204100308
• Scott, K. A., Roberts, J. A., & Glennen, S. (2011). How well do children who are internationally adopted acquire language? A meta-analysis. Journal Of Speech, Language, And Hearing Research , 54(4), 1153-1169. doi:10.1044/1092-4388(2010/10-0075)
• << Previous: What is an Empirical Article?
• Next: Reference >>
• Last Updated: Jan 19, 2024 1:44 PM
• URL: https://libguides.marist.edu/cjresearchmethods

James A. Cannavino Library

3399 North Road Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 (845) 575-3106

• Cannavino Clarion
• Disclaimers
• Privacy Policy

135+ Amazing Criminal Justice Research Topics In 2023

Are you a law student or enrolled in law college? Are you looking for criminal justice research topics? Here, in this blog, you can find your criminal justice research topics. Statanalytca.com explains the 135 amazing criminal research paper topic ideas for 2023 in this blog.

When we listen to the word criminal justice, many words come into our mind like “victim,” “enforcement,” “crimes,” “courts,” “prison,” and law sanctions. Criminal justice is a term that governments make to justice for people, reduce and make decisions to prevent crimes. Governments make law sanctions to reduce crimes. Every country has a different criminal justice system.

The criminal justice system in the United States is a complex system of federal, state, and local laws, with state and federal constitutions, international treaties, and customary law. Each layer of government shares responsibility for a different aspect of the process. Federal law enforcement agencies enforce laws that may be broken by people who are not in their jurisdiction.

For example : When an individual from New York City travels to Florida to commit a crime such as a robbery or murder they will be arrested by the Florida police and handed over to federal authorities.

A criminal justice research paper necessarily requires accuracy, attention, and patience. Sometimes students are confused about writing criminal research paper topics, or they have a shortage of time to complete research papers.

Most college students ask for assignments to write criminal justice research papers. If you want criminal justice research paper help, you can take our trusted  research paper assignment help .

How To Choose A Good Research Topics

Table of Contents

Choosing a research topic is a very challenging task. You should pick a topic that is both interesting and relevant to your audience. You should analyze the crime report before choosing the criminal justice research topics. Research the types of crimes in your country and where your country ranks in the global crime index.

Some research topics include the following:

• The role of law enforcement, prosecutors, and public defenders.
• Challenges with eyewitness identifications.
• Different types of evidence are used in criminal cases.
• The effect of jury selection on trials.
• How criminal justice impacts mental health.

What Is a Research Paper in Criminal Justice?

A research paper in criminal justice is an academic paper presenting findings from research on a specific criminal justice topic. These papers typically require extensive research and analysis of primary and secondary sources, such as case studies, official reports, statistics, and academic literature. The research paper aims to contribute new knowledge to the criminal justice field, identify trends or patterns, or assess the effectiveness of interventions or policies.

Research papers in criminal justice typically follow a standard academic format, including an introduction that sets the context and research questions, a literature review that summarizes existing research, a methodology section that outlines the research design and data collection methods, a results section that presents findings, and a conclusion that summarizes the research’s significance and implications.

Criminal justice research papers may focus on various topics, including the legal system’s operations, law enforcement practices, corrections, crime prevention, and victimization. These papers may be used to inform policymakers, practitioners, and academics about the state of the criminal justice system and suggest evidence-based solutions to improve its effectiveness and fairness.

Let’s Discuss The Criminal Justice Research Topics-

Here in this section, we will tell you some of the best criminal justice research topics for 2023:-

Basic Criminology and Criminal Justice Research Topics

• Basic criminal Research Topics.
• History of Criminal Ethics.
• Criminology as Social Science.
• Criminology and Public Policy.
• Advantages of Private Prisons.
• Civil Crimes vs War Crimes.
• Offenses Against Religion & Cultural Traits.
• Causes of victimization.

Court Cases Criminal Justice Research Topics

• Can victims of crime receive help?
• How serious are shoplifting incidents?
• When do felony disenfranchisement laws apply?
• Is organized crime and corruption synonymous?
• What is legal help available to victims of date rape?
• What is the difference between civil and criminal cases?
• Forensic science: how effective is it in modern criminal justice?
• Is there a link between substance abuse, crime, and substance use?
• Who is eligible for the protection program, and what protection is provided?
• Prison rape and violence: What can be done to prevent sexual and domestic violence in prison?

Controversial Criminal Justice Research Topics

• Gun control causes.
• Struggle with mental health issues.
• Police officers’ legal rights are limited.
• College Violence Causes.
• Gun violence and prevention policies.
• Crimes Propaganda and Modern Music Culture.
• Race and politics of criminal justice.
• An investigation into victim services.
• Eyewitness Evidence Importance.
• Legal codes used in America.
• Zero tolerance policy and crime rates.
• Sexual assault.
• culture, and gender equality.
• What is the best way to reduce recidivism?
• pros and cons of prisons in America.
• Criminalization of poverty.
• Gender and Punishment.
• The effects of drugs on children’s development.
• Effects of drug addiction on mental health.
• Youth offenders and Bootcamps.

Debate Criminal Justice Research Topics

• Failures in criminal justice.
• Criminal justice system expectations.
• Statistical analysis in criminal justice.
• Debate on criminal justice act.
• criminal justice trend evaluation.
• Trends in the criminal justice system.
• Criminal justice system corrections in the USA.
• Find the solution to prevent crimes.

Criminology Research Topics On Theories

• Is employment related to law violations?
• What is the relationship between family status and legal violations?
• Is gender related to the type of law violation?
• What is the relationship between citizenship and law enforcement?
• How does education relate to crime levels?
• How does gun ownership relate to breaking the law?
• Is there a link between immigration status and law violations?
• What types of crimes are common at what ages?
• How does the type of crime relate to the level of aggression?

Top 10 Hot Criminology Research Topics

• Crime is explained culturally.
• The media’s role in criminology.
• The advantages of convict criminology.
• The major issues in postmodern criminology.
• Is politics influencing criminal behavior?
• How does DAWN collect information?
• The shortcomings of crime mapping.
• Crime rates and community deterioration.
• Certain personality traits trigger criminal behavior.
• Does experimental criminology have an impact on social policy?

Criminal Justice Research Topics Based On Crime and Communities

• The impact of community policing on crime prevention in urban areas.
• The effectiveness of restorative justice programs in reducing recidivism rates.
• The relationship between poverty and crime in urban communities.
• The role of race and ethnicity in criminal justice outcomes and disparities.
• The effectiveness of community-based interventions in reducing juvenile delinquency.
• The impact of gun laws on violent crime in urban communities.
• Social media’s role in spreading crime and its effects on communities.
• The effectiveness of drug courts in reducing drug-related crimes and improving public safety.
• The relationship between mental illness and criminal behavior in urban communities.
• The impact of immigration policies on crime and public safety in urban areas.
• The effectiveness of re-entry programs for ex-offenders in reducing recidivism and promoting successful reintegration into society.
• The impact of community-based victim services on the criminal justice system and crime prevention.
• The relationship between neighborhood social disorganization and crime rates.
• The role of technology in improving crime prevention and solving crimes in urban communities.
• The effectiveness of community-based diversion programs for non-violent offenders.
• The impact of neighborhood watch programs on crime prevention and community safety.
• The role of community involvement in addressing hate crimes and bias incidents.
• The impact of domestic violence on communities and the criminal justice response.
• The effectiveness of drug treatment programs in reducing drug-related crime and improving public health.
• The criminal justice system’s impact on marginalized communities and efforts to promote equity and justice.

Criminal Justice Research Topics On Racism and Discrimination

• Eliminating discrimination in the criminal justice system.
• Gender Bias in Eyewitnesses.
• African American Legislative Apartheid.
• Racial Discrimination in College Campuses.
• How criminal justice law is enacted on Migrants.
• Inequality in the criminal justice system Research.

General Criminal Justice Research Topics

• Police brutality and excessive force
• Criminal profiling and investigation techniques
• Restorative justice programs
• Cybercrime and cyberterrorism
• Gun control policies and their effectiveness
• The impact of race and ethnicity on sentencing
• Juvenile delinquency prevention and intervention
• Wrongful convictions and the death penalty
• Gender and crime
• Drug policy and its impact on crime.
• Community policing and trust-building strategies
• The effectiveness of rehabilitation and reentry programs for offenders
• Domestic violence and its impact on victims
• Crime prevention through environmental design
• Forensic science and the reliability of evidence in criminal investigations
• Corruption in law enforcement and the criminal justice system
• Mental health treatment for inmates and offenders
• Human trafficking and modern-day slavery
• The use of technology in criminal investigations and surveillance
• The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the criminal justice system.

Types of Criminal Justice Research Topics  

• Homicide, serial murders, and serial murder are the most popular topics in murder studies.
• A case study of robbery crime, unusual daylight robbery in a news article.
• Identity Theft and Ways to Protect, the prevalence of identity theft in the community, causes, and effects of cell phone theft.
• Analysis and critique of Current fraud cases, Fraud and business ethics, fraud schemes, and investigation.

International Criminal Law Topics

• Criminal ethics, criminal law research assignment paper.
• Criminal courtroom observation reaction.
• Childhood obesity.
• Crime Prevention.
• International crimes and their laws.
• International criminal court.
• Human Rights and Inequality.
• Rape Cases.

Criminal Justice Research Topics For College Students

• The Impact of Police Body Cameras on Law Enforcement Accountability
• Violent Crime Reduction Effectiveness of Restorative Justice Programs
• Racial Disparities in Sentencing and Their Implications for Justice
• The Role of Mental Health Services in Diverting Offenders from the Criminal Justice System
• Media Effects on Perceptions of Crime and Criminal Conduct
• Examining the Use of Technology in Solving Crimes and Enhancing Investigations
• Juvenile Justice Policies: Rehabilitation vs. Punishment
• The Intersection of Immigration Policies and Criminal Justice Outcomes
• Criminal Profiling and its Reliability in Solving Crimes
• The Effect of Minimum Sentence Laws on Incarceration Rates and Public Safety.

Criminology Research Topics

• Armed Crime Groups History Motives.
• Cyber Criminology Correction Methods.
• Art Fraud Cooperation.
• Drunk Driving Prevention Ads.
• Identity Theft & Social Media.
• Topic on Child Abuse & TV Violence.
• Aggression Against Homeless People.
• Unemployment & Street Situation Analysis.
• Forensic Research Identification Methods.
• Crime Witnesses PTSD Rehabilitation.

Career With The Criminology Major

There are a variety of jobs you can get with a criminology degree. We sort listed the top 8 trending jobs that you can get with a criminology degree:

• Criminologist.
• Private investigator 
• Forensic scientist .
• Correction officer.
• Jury consultant.
• Loss prevention specialist 
• Clinical social worker.

Tips On How To Write Criminal Justice Research Topics

A step-by-step guide on how to write criminal justice research topics:

• Choose a particular topic.
• Read the given materials and take some notes.
• Come up with a thesis.
• Create an outline for your project.
• Write down all the information that you have collected.
• Start with a cover page, and an intro.
• List the technique you used and the results you got.
• Include a discussion.
• Always write a conclusion.
• Don’t forget to correct your grammar mistakes.
• Revise, proofread, and if it is incorrect then edit.

Importance of Criminal Justice Research Papers In 2023

Here are some important of criminal justice research papers in 2023: 

1. Informed Policy-Making

Criminal justice research papers provide valuable data and insights that policymakers use to develop effective laws and policies, enhancing the fairness and efficiency of the justice system.

2. Evidence-Based Practices

Research papers help identify evidence-based strategies for law enforcement, corrections, and crime prevention, leading to better outcomes and reduced rates of reoffending.

3. Transparency and Accountability

By revealing systemic issues and gaps, research papers push for greater transparency and accountability within the criminal justice system, fostering public trust.

4. Improved Decision-Making

Policymakers, law enforcement, and other stakeholders use research findings to make informed decisions on resource allocation and allocation of efforts.

5. Advancing Knowledge

Criminal justice research papers contribute to the body of knowledge in the field, allowing researchers and academics to build on existing findings and develop innovative approaches to understanding crime and justice.

6. Addressing Disparities

Research papers shed light on disparities in the justice system, such as racial or socioeconomic disparities, prompting efforts to address and rectify these inequalities.

7. Enhancing Public Awareness

Research papers raise public awareness about issues like wrongful convictions, mental health challenges, and the impact of crime on communities, spurring advocacy and societal change.

Get More Criminal Justice Research Topics At Statanalytica.com

Hope you choose criminal justice research topics for this blog. If you have any difficulty choosing criminal justice research topics, you can contact us at any time. Our professional writers are available to suggest criminal justice research topics ideas and research paper help.

Here are some of the benefits of taking criminal justice research topics that you can hire us.

• Professional Guidance.
• Improvement in Grades.
• A Better Understanding of the Subject.
• 24 Hours Availability.
• On-time Delivery.
• Free Corrections.
• Money-Back Guarantee.
• Affordable Deals.

So, you can contact us for any type of paper writing service and impress your teacher or professor by choosing a good criminal justice research topic.

This is the end of this post about criminal justice research topics. However, diverse criminal justice research topics offer unique insights into various aspects of the criminal justice system. These research areas are crucial for policymakers, practitioners, and academics to comprehensively understand the system’s challenges and develop effective interventions that improve its fairness and effectiveness. 

On the other hand, we mentioned more than 135 criminal justice research topics based on different categories. So that it is easier for you to choose the best criminal justice research topics.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1.what are some criminal justice research topics.

Research Topics in Criminal Justice System: 1. Capital Punishment. 2. Community Corrections. 3. Crime Prevention. 4. Criminal Courts. 5. Criminal Justice Ethics. 6. Criminal Law. 7. Criminal Specialisation. 8. Drug Courts.

Q2. How do I choose a research topic?

Two main ways to find a research topic: through your academic interests or by self-initiation. You can find a topic through your academic focus, talk to your professors and classmates about what they’re working on, and they can point you in the right direction and introduce you to the process of conducting research. The other option is to start with The idea that interests you.

Related Posts

Step by Step Guide on The Best Way to Finance Car

The Best Way on How to Get Fund For Business to Grow it Efficiently

Lamson Library

• Lamson Library

CJ 3401 - Research Methods in Criminal Justice

• CJ 4400 - Research Methods

Literature Review

Searching for a topic.

• Once You've Found a Topic
• Use Interlibrary Loan
• Web of Science Tips
• Google Scholar Tips

Have Questions?

• Ask a Librarian

Citation Managers

CJ 3401 calls for you to do a literature review , which is not a research paper . 

A literature review includes the current knowledge as well as theoretical and methodological contributions to a particular topic.  - Wikipedia

A literature review... combines both summary and synthesis. A summary is a recap of the important information of the source, but a synthesis is a re-organization, or a reshuffling, of that information. - Writing Center , University of NC

You can use many types of resources when searching for a topic to review.  However, use only scholarly resources in the review itself .

Encyclopedia of Crime and Justice

Encyclopedia of Transnational Crime and Justice

Top Criminal Justice Journals

Still searching for a topic?

A couple printed works with contributions by Plymouth State faculty

Once You Have a Topic

• InterLibrary Loan

Your literature review needs to be comprehensive.  You will likely need to include articles we don't have access to.  Use Interlibrary Loan (ILL) to obtain these articles at no cost to you.  ILL usually delivers articles by email within 2 or 3 days of your request.

You may see the "Get this article" link in library databases.  It allows you to place an interlibrary loan request for the article shown.

Web of Science

These techniques will help you find important authors and articles winin your topic.

Google Scholar

A free and simple search tool that leads to scholarly articles we subscribe to.

Don't hesitate to contact a reference librarian for guidance.

• About Lamson
• Staff Directory
• Library Maps

library services

• Renew Items
• Archives & Special Collections
• Digital Collections
• Faculty Resources

Other Services

• Writing Center
• Reserve IT equipment
• How to Cite Sources
• Writing a Thesis
• Writing a Dissertation

• Last Updated: Feb 13, 2024 10:19 AM
• URL: https://library.plymouth.edu/cj3401

• Lamar University

CRIJ 4380 - Criminal Justice Research

• Literature Review
• Find Articles

Recommended Databases

• Academic Search Complete

The following are links to databases for criminal justice articles:

• Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection
• Sage Publications Online
• Science Direct

Useful Websites

• Literature Reviews - U of North Carolina This handout will explain what literature reviews are and offer insights into the form and construction of literature reviews in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences.
• Review of Literature - U of Wisconsin Learn how to write a literature review.
• Write a Literature Review - U of California Santa Cruz Not to be confused with a book review, a literature review surveys scholarly articles, books and other sources (e.g. dissertations, conference proceedings) relevant to a particular issue, area of research, or theory, providing a description, summary, and critical evaluation of each work. The purpose is to offer an overview of significant literature published on a topic.

Quantitative vs Qualitative

• Quantitative and Qualitative What is the difference between quantitative and qualitative research? In a nutshell, quantitative research generates numerical data or information that can be converted into numbers. Qualitative Research on the other hand generates non-numerical data.
• Quantitative and Qualitative Research Discusses the differences between the two and includes a table for reference.
• << Previous: Home
• Next: Find Articles >>
• Last Updated: Jul 27, 2023 3:06 PM
• URL: https://libguides.lamar.edu/CRIJ4380

We use cookies to enhance our website for you. Proceed if you agree to this policy or learn more about it.

• Essay Writer Service >
• Topic Collections

120 Fresh and Thought-Provoking Topics for Literature Reviews in Different Disciplines

A literature review is an account of the scholarly works published on a topic. It is different from an annotated bibliography – and far more interesting at that. Instead of being just a list of summaries, a literature review synthesizes the information from all available sources in an overall relationship to your guiding concept. This may be the problem you are discussing, a statement you are arguing, a theory you are verifying, etc.

The goals of a literature review may vary:

• giving a historical overview of the research in the field
• summarizing the existing state of the topic
• finding a problem or a gap in the research field
• developing a new theory, etc.

That is why good literature review topics are often formulated as research questions. This type of paper is not an easy writing. You will need to parse immense volumes of information, synthesize and summarize coherently. You also need to devote plenty of time to reading.

This post contains a list of literature review topics suggested for various subjects. However, when choosing the most fitting one to dig into, ask yourself, what are the passions that you can apply to this research? This assignment will take a while, so you will need more than just a good study discipline to soldier on. A bit of enthusiasm and intrinsic motivation will get you much farther.

Literature Review Topics Examples on English and World Literature

Some of the suggestions in this post are linked to literature review examples in our free database. By clicking on a title, you get to a corresponding sample page, where you can read the entire text. If the topic you like isn't linked, but you would like to read an example, you can order it. We will arrange the most qualified paper writer to prepare it for you exclusively.

Ready? Let's start with topics for literature review papers on English and World Literature.

• Phoenix as a symbol for endurance in a worn path
• The novel Intuition by Allegra Goodman
• Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Birthmark through Girard's Lens
• Ender's Game by an Orson Scott Card
• Depiction of freedom and happiness in Brave New World
• Feminism and Post-Colonialism in Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake and Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games
• Rationality, logic, and mathematics in the novel The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time
• Victims of their time as a character type in the World literature
• The last days of Judas Iscariot : a play by Stephen Adly Guirgis
• The use of symbolism in Kafka's prose
• Naturalism in American literature
• Grotesque and Sublime in the prose of Edgar Allan Poe

Lit Review Topic Ideas on Science and Technology

Next are some literature review topic ideas on science and technology.

• Electronic library and effects of its implementation
• Benjamin Franklin: scientist and inventor
• Virtual Reality, science fiction, and society today
• Science, Technology, and Society as a field of knowledge
• Frederick Winslow Taylor and the principles of scientific management
• What is the future of work
• Concepts of science and technology
• The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis and influence of technological advancement on man and nature
• Types of machine learning
• Internet of Things and biometrics: implications, benefits, threats
• Emotional intelligence and natural language processing
• SmartCity projects that have already been implemented and their lessons

As the field is vast, we can barely scratch the surface with these suggestions. To help you with brainstorming, here are a few tips on how to choose good topics for a literature review yourself:

• Make sure the topic ties nicely with class requirements as well as your interests
• Do some preliminary research to see if there is enough literature on your topic
• Scale up if the information is scarce or down if there are too many sources to handle
• Use sources recommended for reading in the class materials
• Supplement the list with only trustworthy scholarly sources

Follow these guidelines, and you are on a path to some great ideas!

Psychology Literature Review Topics

When brainstorming topics on psychology, don't forget about the subdisciplines: biopsychology, social, educational, organizational, etc. If the suggestions below won't be enough, try looking for inspiration in Biology, Sociology, Education, or Business. The most exciting topics are often at the intersection of different areas of knowledge!

• Tricyclic antidepressants vs. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) in treatment of depression
• Stress, its causes, effects, and coping strategies
• The family system and psychology
• Tibetan compassion practices: working with terror, trauma, and transcendence
• Behaviorism psychology
• Culture and psychopathology
• Correlation between diet and cognitive functions in primary school students
• The evolutionary role of phobias and intrusive thoughts
• Popular psychology and its implications
• PTSD in mass disasters survivors: immediate relief and long-term assistance
• Cults and vulnerable populations
• False memories and gaslighting

Nursing Literature Review Topics

Nursing lit review topics are probably the most diverse in scale, as you can see from the examples below. They can describe a larger issue or a concrete solution applied to a narrowly defined problem. Following this principle, you can modify our lit review topics suggestions zooming out or in on the subject material.

• Legalization of medical marijuana and its effects on the youth
• Health effects of fiber: research findings
• Achieving higher levels of education and training for nurses
• Organic foods and cardiovascular disease
• The importance of Central Venous Line (CVL) and Central Venous Access Devices (CVAD)
• What effects do different types of music have on humans and their mental health?
• The use of laboratory-grown organs for transplantation
• The role of xylitol in alleviating dry mouth
• The detection of tar and nicotine content of cigarette smoke extract using HPLC
• Rheumatoid arthritis: etiology, diagnosis, vulnerable populations
• Mobility aids for the elderly and quality of life
• The role of play in the recuperation of hospitalized children

Education Literature Review Topics

To get more ideas from these literature review topic examples, try isolating an issue and put it in another educational context. For instance, student motivation in primary school vs. middle school or sleep deprivation in high school vs. college. This should give you plenty of material for brainstorming.

• Simulation education for crisis prevention program
• A critical consideration of the new pedagogy in its relation to modern science
• Lack of students interest in studying science
• Discovery-based learning and student-centered learning with a focus on mathematics at a high school level
• The adverse effects of sleep deprivation on academic performance: a college student's struggle
• Gender bias in special education programs
• Higher education for senior citizens: challenges and best practices
• Significant challenges of the teaching profession in the US
• Factors contributing to international student mobility
• Student motivation in private vs. state colleges
• Benefits and challenges of homeschooling for students and families
• Correlation between workload, stress levels, and self-esteem in middle-school students

Sociology Literature Review Topics

The best advice on finding current sociology topics is to look at the challenges your community faces. Become the first one to notice and address these issues!

• Are video games affecting our current and future students ?
• Ways to prevent social media bullying
• Spanking of children in the USA
• The relation of poverty and exposure to crime in adolescent men
• Transgender discrimination
• The link between science and Utopia in Utopia and the New Atlantis
• Effectiveness of group therapy in social work
• Peer pressure, depression, and causes of suicide in the adolescents
• Religious separatism social issues connected with it
• Causes and effects of domestic abuse
• Physical appearance and social status
• Race, nationality, ethnicity, and identity

Political Science Literature Review Topics

Political science is one of the more formal disciplines on this list. Being heavy with abstract concepts, it doesn't lend itself easily to casual brainstorming. Well, at least start with these:

• Electoral College, its functions, and role in public life
• Why American and the British IPE are so different
• Contingency planning
• Effects of political gerrymandering
• American political parties
• The present urban regimes in Canada
• International policies and domestic regulations: precedence and clashes
• Tolerance as a political virtue
• Grassroots activism and its impact on state and federal law
• National security and constitutional freedoms
• Historical analysis of anarchism
• The effect of social media on civic engagement

Criminal Justice Literature Review Topics

Criminal justice is a complex field. It's ripe with variance and challenges – which is good for topic ideas at least. And you have state, federal, and international levels to add more variables.

• Juvenile justice and the Missouri model
• Car-related crime in the USA
• An analysis of the impact of sexual harassment/sexual assault in the military
• The process of the arbitration without the involvement of national courts
• Serial killers and profiling
• Policing and criminal justice systems
• Psychological effects of cyberbullying on adolescents
• Sexual human trafficking from the Central America region
• Human sex-trafficking: the Canadian perspective
• Gender and racial bias in criminal investigations
• Possible ethical and legal dilemmas of using sniffer dogs
• Sting operations vs. entrapment: ethics and regulations

Chemistry and Biology Literature Review Topics

Biology is fascinating. It has something for everyone: from biochemistry and genetics to ecosystems and nature preservation. Here are some suggestions to guide your choice:

• Brain size correlation
• Haruko Obokata, ethics of stem cells research, and scientific misconduct
• Genomic and molecular genetics major and its perspectives for students
• DNA use in mass disasters
• DNA detection from dried blood spots
• Captive breeding of marine mammals: pros and cons
• The Dynamics of ER and mitochondria
• Biomarkers in gastric cancer treatment
• The chemistry behind gene splicing
• Carcinogens and hyper-processed foods
• Primates and monkeys as potential sources of novel zoonotic infections
• Natural gases, ecosystems, and the global warming

Business and Marketing Literature Review Topics

Finally, here are some business and marketing topics as well. These disciplines might be relatively new, but they are among the most dynamic and information-rich – which means great fun to explore.

• Effectiveness of neuromarketing in comparison to traditional marketing methods
• Green supply chain management
• Effectiveness of e-marketing to non-profit making organizations
• The value of information
• Shareholder engagement/activism and corporate performance
• The relationship between ethics, stress, and productivity in the workplace
• The role of integrity in business
• Client confidentiality and its role in a prosperous business
• Businesses, their impact on the community, and social responsibility
• Startup fundraising stages
• Innovative marketing in the age of instant feedback: risks and possibilities
• Strategies for staff motivation

Jana Rooheart

Jana Rooheart came to WOWESSAYS™ with a mission to put together and then slice and dice our vast practical experience in crafting all kinds of academic papers. Jana is an aspired blogger with rich expertise in psychology, digital learning tools, and creative writing. In this blog, she willingly shares tricks of pencraft and mind-altering ideas about academic writing any student will find utterly beneficial.

Share with friends using:

275 words = 1 page double-spaced

Looking for essays to inspire you? We have samples of all types on any topic under the sun!

Other pages.

• Teacher Book Reviews
• Coordinator Term Papers
• Bunch Term Papers
• Attendant Term Papers
• Drill Term Papers
• Acre Term Papers
• Deposition Term Papers
• Nexus Term Papers
• Businessman Term Papers
• Abdomen Term Papers
• How Microcredit Help Poor People Term Paper Example
• Online Dating Or Conventional Dating Essay Examples
• Article Review On Also As Would Be Obvious To Any Researcher Of Diplomacy Use Of Force And Diplomacy
• African Slave Trade Essay Examples
• Free Research Paper On Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Outliers Analysis Essays Examples
• Free Essay About Definition Of Student
• Project Management Case Study Essay Sample
• Free Smartphone Essay Sample
• Models Of Organizational Change Research Paper Examples
• Free Portraits Of Reconciliation Course Work Sample
• Good Legal Principles Case Study Example
• Good Example Of Essay On The Benefits Of College Education To Students
• Term Paper On Comprehensive Article Review
• Sex In The 21sr Century Media Essay Samples
• Hard Rock Case Studies Example
• Free Critical Thinking On Shared Decision Making
• Great Barrington Essays
• Manuel Zelaya Essays
• Charles Taylor Essays
• Eliza Essays
• You Tube Essays
• Grammy Essays
• National Health Insurance Essays
• Phillips Curve Essays
• Strategic Importance Essays
• Decision Support Systems Essays
• Natalie Essays
• Alessi Essays
• Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs Essays
• Okonkwo Essays
• Impacting Essays
• Pullman Company Essays

Password recovery email has been sent to [email protected]

Use your new password to log in

You are not register!

By clicking Register, you agree to our Terms of Service and that you have read our Privacy Policy .

Now you can download documents directly to your device!

Check your email! An email with your password has already been sent to you! Now you can download documents directly to your device.

or Use the QR code to Save this Paper to Your Phone

The sample is NOT original!

Short on a deadline?

Don't waste time. Get help with 11% off using code - GETWOWED

No, thanks! I'm fine with missing my deadline

105 Literature Review Topics + How-to Guide [2024]

A literature review is a variant of curtsy in scientific circles. It presents your acknowledgment that you are not the first to tackle the issue. Your predecessors have made progress in answering your research question, and you plan to start from the point they finished.

This article features examples of literature review topics on multiple knowledge areas. Additionally, you will find exhaustive disambiguation of all the types of a literature review, as well as its purposes, definition, outline, and formatting.

• 🔝 Top 15 Topics
• ✍️ Writing Tips
• Political Science
• Criminal Justice

🔗 References

🔝 top 15 literature review topics.

• What does the science say about extraterrestrial life?
• Redesigning organisms in synthetic biology: Where are we at now?
• Equality of human rights at the international level.
• Why do genes happen to be active or inactive?
• Legalizing physician-assisted suicide.
• Can an adult person change their native language?
• The most efficient study programs.
• The ethics of using surveillance cameras.
• The effect of reading fiction on your brain.
• British imperialism in India.
• What is kindness: A philosophical approach.
• Modern technologies can sift out fake news.
• Multiculturalism: A romantic myth or today’s reality?
• The demographics of liberal worldview in the US.
• Chronic fatigue: Literature review and hypotheses.

✍️ Literature Review Writing Tips

Speaking of a literature review , the definition is too broad to be used as writing guidance. It is an overview of credible materials on a particular research question. A literature review usually becomes chapter 1 in dissertations and theses , allowing to explore the current knowledge on the topic. It evaluates academic and professional articles, journal publications, books, and web-based resources.

A literature review is an indispensable part of a research paper. It serves many purposes, some of which are not evident.

What Is the Purpose of a Literature Review?

• To draw the background context;
• To compare your results with previous research;
• To justify your research methods;
• To frame research gaps and show the scientific novelty of your project;
• To explain the social value of your work;
• To demonstrate your knowledge of the referenced literature;
• To train your analytical thinking.

Types of Literature Review

Below you’ll find the 6 types of literature reviews.

Systematic Review

A systematic literature review is a most comprehensive and data-oriented type. It defines the timeframe of the selected literature and is subdivided into two categories:

• Meta-analysis ( deductive research through standardized statistical procedures)
• Meta-synthesis (inductive study by non-statistical qualitative methods)

Narrative Review

It is also called a traditional or critical literature review. The purpose is to summarize the available material, critique it, and identify the gaps and inconsistencies. This type works well for almost any research question, provided it is sufficiently focused and limited in time or subject matter.

Scoping Review

As the name implies, it estimates the scope of available literature on a literature review topic. Unlike a systematic literature review, which aims to find the most specific research question, this type looks for the most general one. It answers the question of what else can be researched in the field.

Theoretical Review

A theoretical literature review explores the pool of theories that have so far accumulated on a concept. It lists the existing ideas, their relationships, and gaps. The purpose is to develop hypotheses to be tested in the experimental section.

Argumentative Review

This type provides the most selective literature review to prove or refute an argument already established in the research literature. However, this is also the most biased review among all types.

Integrative Review

This literature review integrates, synthesizes, and critiques the available secondary data to develop new research frameworks and perspectives.

Systematic Review vs. Literature Review vs. Annotated Bibliography

Literature Review Outline

How long should a literature review be? It depends on the assignment requirements and your outline.

A literature review is often used as a part of a more general research paper. In such a case, you can limit yourself to the standard introduction –main body – conclusion formula.

In all the other situations, use the following literature review outline.

• Introduction Trace the scope and highlight the importance of your review. Why did you choose the given topic or research question? How does it contribute to the previous study?
• Methodology We have listed the types of literature review above. Depending on your purposes, select one and explain why your choice is the best. You can also specify which logic you used while choosing the sources for your review.
• Discussion It is the central part of the text which compares, contrasts, and explains the relationships between various ideas you found in the bibliography items.
• Conclusion Are you satisfied with the result of your work? How will it help further research? Which gaps have you spotted, and which hypothesis could you generate?
• List of references As in any research paper, this is an indispensable part of your literature review. Be sure to follow the format requirements as provided below.

Literature Review Format

All citation styles require you to indicate the author’s name, book title, publication year, number of pages, and volume or issue number. This data is available in any printed edition, as publishers use it to identify their products.

It may sound simple until you discover that each citation style has a multi-page list of nuanced details specific to this format and inapplicable to any other.

Browse the guides for each of the most popular types below.

APA style is a format for scholarly documents. It is particularly popular in the fields of social and behavioral sciences. APA is well-known for its simplicity in source references. Thus, a vast majority of American universities and colleges prefer this format.

MLA style manual is an abridged version of the MLA Handbook published by the Modern Language Association. It was created for students to assist in their research aspirations. Its 8 th edition is addressed to secondary-school and undergraduate university and college teachers and students. The style is popular in humanities (modern languages, literature, cultural studies, and related disciplines).

Chicago style (also called CMS or CMOS) is a style guide for American English. The University of Chicago Press first published it in 1906. Since then, it has had 17 editions and has become one of the most popular citation styles in the US. The guide instructs on editorial practice, grammar, document preparation, formatting, and even the use of the singular “they.”

💡 Literature Review Topics

Literature review topics in education.

• How can we make classrooms more inclusive ?
• Flipped classroom approach.
• Waldorf schools and their concept.
• How do ADHD symptoms affect a student’s learning abilities?
• Educational leadership.
• Methods of tracking the performance of schoolchildren.
• How can token economy diminish off-task behavior in students with autism?
• Resegregation in US schools.
• Is bilingual education realizable in contemporary schools?
• Growing violence incidents in educational institutions.

Political Science Literature Review Topics

• Gender cosmopolitanism in Sweden .
• Security policy is based on political ideology .
• The emotional effect of populism .
• The theory and classification of political speeches.
• Global measures in COVID-19 response.
• The international politics of the Arab world.
• How do we select our leaders ?
• Officials in politics: Emotional labor .
• Relational peace between countries.
• The invisible force holding countries together.

Criminal Justice Literature Review Topics

• The problematic issues of prosecution and legal enforcement in Eastern Europe.
• Track the evolution of international criminal justice practices.
• Crime prevention methods.
• The evolution of criminology as a social science.
• The cycle of domestic violence : Theory and statistics.
• The patterns in child abuse perpetrators.
• Randomized experimental designs in criminology .
• Current measures to stop human trafficking in the US.
• How should we punish environmental crimes?
• Terrorism : Approaches to its definitions.

Sociology Literature Review Topics

• Does coded language help us fight racial inequality ?
• Workplace bullying.
• International conflicts in terms of social representation theory.
• Gender and sexual activity.
• Is our society liberal or conservative ?
• Single African American parents.
• Racial salary gap in the US.
• Substance abuse and health care costs for employers.
• Does federal aid succeed at fighting urban poverty?
• How does hate speech spur desensitization?

Nursing Literature Review Topics

• Practice in the field of healthcare.
• Evidence-based nursing practice.
• Traumatic brain injury.
• Alzheimer’s disease.
• Pressure ulcers study.
• Post-operative readmission rates.
• Nursing ratios and nosocomial infections.
• Patient fall prevention study.
• Emergency room wait time.
• Electronic health records.

Psychology Literature Review Topics

• Parents’ experiences of caring for a child with ASD
• The long-term consequences of child abuse
• The neurology of depression .
• Explore the psychological effects of loud noise.
• Why is it so hard to accept what contradicts our beliefs?
• The psychological mechanisms of compulsive eating.
• Why are some people more prone to discrimination and prejudice?
• Self-protection against grief .
• Non-verbal communication rates in different cultures.
• Love : Chemistry or feeling?

Biology Literature Review Topics

• Camouflage in plants.
• Color differences in male and female bird species.
• Acceptability of genetic engineering.
• Natural reforestation: Too long to wait.
• Why are domestic plants weaker than wild ones?
• Hepcidin: importance, production, regulation.
• How can we edit DNA sequences ?
• Which anti- COVID vaccines are the most effective and why?
• Cancer : An umbrella term for many diseases.
• Species that are important to our ecology.

Easy Literature Review Topics

• Sustainable agriculture : Our future reality.
• Vegetarianism.
• The scientific background behind music therapy .
• Stono revolt.
• The latest findings in stopping brain aging.
• Articles on cyber security of young children.
• Data-driven personalization : Prospects and achievements.
• Importance of the literature review in research.
• Critical literature review of digital signature.
• Reviewing quantitative academic literature and data.

❓ Literature Review Topics FAQ

❓ what is discussed in literature review.

A literature review discusses the texts that are the most relevant to your research question. It summarizes, compares, evaluates, and critiques the available literature to find the points of intersection and blind spots. As a result, you will develop a specific topic for further research or pose a hypothesis.

❓ What are the 3 parts of literature review?

The three parts of this academic genre are the same as those of any other research paper. The introduction explores the background and importance of the topic. The main body analyzes the selected texts. It may also contain a methodology section that explains why you chose such or another literary review type. The conclusion outlines the perspectives of your research.

❓ What are the four stages of literature review?

• Formulating the problem (which topic is under study and what are its constituent parts?);
• Searching the literature (making up the preliminary bibliography list to be described in the literature review);
• Evaluating the data (which sources are the most significant in our understanding of the topic?);
• Analyzing and interpreting the essential findings.
• Literature Reviews – UNC Writing Center
• Learn how to write a review of literature
• Writing a Literature Review // Purdue Writing Lab
• Types of Literature Reviews – Systematic Reviews
• How to Conduct a Literature Review
• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter X
• Share to LinkedIn

You might also like

The necklace: summary, themes, and a short story analysis, dulce et decorum est 101: summary, analysis, & questions and answers, literature review: outline, strategies, and examples [2024].

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it's official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings
• Browse Titles

NCBI Bookshelf. A service of the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.

Lorenc T, Petticrew M, Whitehead M, et al. Crime, fear of crime and mental health: synthesis of theory and systematic reviews of interventions and qualitative evidence. Southampton (UK): NIHR Journals Library; 2014 Mar. (Public Health Research, No. 2.2.)

Crime, fear of crime and mental health: synthesis of theory and systematic reviews of interventions and qualitative evidence.

Chapter 4 systematic reviews: methods.

This chapter sets out the methods for the two systematic reviews, one of effectiveness and one of UK qualitative evidence. Searching and screening for both of the reviews were carried out simultaneously and the methods are reported here for both reviews. Protocols were not registered for either systematic review because at the time of writing the main systematic review registration database (PROSPERO) included only reviews of the effectiveness of health interventions for health outcomes and so neither review would have met its criteria.

The reviews were conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines 8 (see Appendix 11 ). However, because of the broad scope required to obtain an adequate picture of the relevant evidence base, the review questions are arguably less focused than might be the case for most systematic reviews in health-related fields, with a fairly broad range of both interventions and outcomes considered. The quality assessment process, particularly for the review of effectiveness, was also less detailed than standard practice in health-related fields would indicate. The breadth of the review means that many of our more general conclusions, particularly the broader reflections in Chapter 7 , should be regarded as indicative only.

The following databases were searched for the systematic reviews of effectiveness and of qualitative evidence. Databases were searched between November 2010 and January 2011. Each database was searched without date limits, that is, from inception to the search date.

• Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts (ASSIA)
• Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL)
• Conference Proceedings Citation Index – Science
• Criminal Justice Abstracts
• Dissertation Abstracts
• Education Resources Information Center (ERIC)
• Health Management Information Consortium (HMIC)
• Inside Conferences
• National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS)
• Science Citation Index
• Social Policy & Practice
• Social Science Citation Index
• Sociological Abstracts
• Urban Studies Abstracts.

The search strategy took the following form:

((fear of crime) OR (crime) OR (antisocial behaviour)) AND ((built environment) OR (built environment interventions))

The full MEDLINE search strategy can be found in Appendix 2 . Searches for other databases used a modified form of the MEDLINE search strategy. No further limitations (e.g. by language or date of publication) were used in the searches.

The following additional sources were also used to locate studies:

• Google and Google Scholar (using a simplified version of the main search string and screening the first 50 hits from each)
• citation chasing from the studies included in the review
• citation chasing from relevant systematic reviews located by the searches (i.e. that met all of the inclusion criteria except that relating to study design)
• searches of websites of various government bodies, research groups and other relevant organisations (the full list can be found in Appendix 3 )
• consultation with members of the research team and the advisory group.

The records from the searches were deduplicated and uploaded to EPPI-Reviewer 4 (Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre, Institute of Education, London, UK) for screening. Two reviewers coded an initial sample of records independently, with differences resolved by discussion and reference to a third reviewer when necessary. In total, 9% of the records were screened by two reviewers independently ( n  = 1108). Agreement on inclusion prior to reconciliation was 90.6%, with Cohen’s kappa = 0.45. The remaining abstracts were screened by one reviewer alone.

Initial inclusion criteria

The following inclusion criteria were applied sequentially (i.e. studies had to meet all criteria to be included):

• Does the study report data on crime, safety and/or the fear of crime or evaluate an intervention intended to reduce crime and/or the fear of crime? (Note: crime or fear of crime need not be the sole or primary focus of the study. Violence and antisocial behaviour are considered to be crime outcomes, but illegal drug use per se is not. Conduct problems, behaviour problems or aggression are not crime outcomes and studies on these without crime or fear of crime data were excluded.)
• Does the study report data on at least one of the following: fear of crime (including perceived safety or risk, worry or anxiety about crime, or fear of specific crimes or of crime in general, but not including perceived crime rates or perceptions of crime, e.g. the extent to which crime is ‘a problem’); mental health; physical health; health behaviours (e.g. physical activity), or social well-being (e.g. social interaction)? (Note: violence is considered to be a health outcome for this criterion, as is illegal drug use; however, crime or antisocial behaviour, if not further specified, are not. Educational attainment is not a health outcome. This criterion should be interpreted strictly for quantitative studies, but broadly for qualitative studies.)
• Does the study report data on variables relating to the built environment, on an intervention that involves some change to the built environment or on perceptions of the environment? (For qualitative studies this should be interpreted at abstract stage to include factors relating to the local-level social environment, e.g. social cohesion, collective efficacy.)
• Is the study a primary research study or a systematic review? (A systematic review is one that clearly reports its search strategies and inclusion criteria. Systematic reviews were retained for reference searching but were not included in their own right.)
• Was the study conducted in a country that is a current member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)? These are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the UK and the USA.
• Is the study either a qualitative study (e.g. one that involves in-depth or semistructured interviews, focus groups, ethnography) or a study that evaluates an intervention and presents quantitative outcome data that were measured both before and after the intervention and/or for both an intervention and a comparison group? To be included here the study had to sample both an intervention and a comparison group; studies with data from one group and one time point that compared these outcomes with data from other sources (e.g. the British Crime Survey) were excluded.
• (For qualitative studies only) Was the study conducted in the UK?

We attempted to retrieve the full texts of all studies that met the inclusion criteria at abstract stage. When the full text was located it was rescreened using the same criteria. Of the full-text studies, 79% were screened independently by two reviewers ( n  = 498), with differences resolved by discussion. Agreement on inclusion prior to reconciliation was 96.0%, with Cohen’s kappa = 0.92. The remainder were screened by one reviewer alone.

After this initial screening process several further exclusion criteria were adopted to focus the reviews further. These criteria differed between the review of effectiveness and the review of qualitative evidence.

Focused exclusion criteria

For the review of effectiveness the following exclusion criteria were applied (the numbers refer to the corresponding code in the initial inclusion criteria):

• (E*2) exclude studies in which the only relevant outcome is violence
• (E*3) exclude studies of interventions in which the change to the built environment was not a substantive component, that is, that involved minor environmental change as part of an intervention whose main focus was not the built environment
• (E*6a) exclude studies using a purely observational design, for example cross-sectional surveys that are analysed with exposure to some intervention as an independent variable
• (E*6b) exclude studies that present only post-test and not pre-test data and in which allocation to intervention and comparison groups is not random.

For the review of qualitative evidence the following exclusion criterion was applied:

• (Q*2/3) exclude studies that do not present substantive data on the fear of crime and the built environment.
• Data extraction and quality assessment

Data were extracted from the studies using a standardised form and included information on the context and setting of the study, the population, the methodology and the findings. Data extraction and quality assessment for all studies were carried out by a single reviewer and double-checked in detail by a second reviewer.

Quality assessment for the effectiveness review was carried out using a modified version of the Hamilton tool 244 (see Appendix 4 ). The Hamilton tool was originally developed specifically for the evaluation of intervention studies in public health. The modified version used here draws on the version used by Thomson et al. 219 This tool includes six domains: selection bias; study design; confounders; blinding; data collection; and withdrawals and dropouts. These domains were used to produce an overall quality rating – A (high quality), B (medium quality) or C (low quality) – using the algorithm set out in Appendix 4 .

Quality assessment for the qualitative review was carried out using Hawker et al. ’s 245 framework (see Appendix 5 ). This tool includes nine domains: abstract and title; introduction and aims; method and data; sampling; data analysis; ethics and bias; results; transferability/generalisability; and implications and usefulness. Again, these domains were used to produce an overall rating of A, B or C, using the algorithm set out in Appendix 5 .

• Data synthesis

For the review of effectiveness, quantitative meta-analysis was not carried out because of the small quantity of robust evidence and the heterogeneity of the studies. A narrative synthesis was carried out with the studies categorised by type of intervention. Effect sizes were analysed as change scores (i.e. differences between pre and post) and relative change scores (i.e. differences between change scores in the intervention and control groups). Ordinal outcomes (e.g. 10-point Likert-type scales) were standardised to 0–100. To summarise effect sizes across several distinct outcomes and/or studies, median change scores were calculated to provide an indicative measure of effect size for each study. Within intervention types, outcome data were synthesised separately for controlled and uncontrolled studies, with particular attention paid to any divergence between these two groups. Harvest plots were used to synthesise evidence of differential subgroup effects.

For the review of qualitative evidence, the synthesis was initially thematic in nature. A grounded theory approach was used to identify themes emerging from the data, and each appearance of each theme was coded with the appropriate code. Following this, a framework derived from the theory review was used to categorise the themes emerging from the data. In a second stage of synthesis, akin to a ‘lines of argument’ synthesis, broader explanatory concepts were developed from the themes.

For the cross-study synthesis we attempted to bring together the findings from the two systematic reviews, the review of theory and the stakeholder interviews. We used a pragmatic approach that focused on: (1) generating implications for interventions from the qualitative review and testing them against the review of effectiveness and (2) investigating to what extent the theories covered in the review of theory are confirmed by the findings of the two systematic reviews.

• Flow of literature through the review

Figure 3 shows the flow of literature through the review. A total of 12,093 references were screened on abstract. After application of the initial criteria, 290 full-text reports were included; after adoption of the additional focused exclusion criteria, this was reduced to 134 primary study reports and two systematic reviews (which were not included in the review in their own right but whose lists of included studies were searched). Forty-nine of these reports were ‘linked’, that is, distinct reports that published data from the same study. A total of 85 primary studies were included in the review, including 47 in the review of effectiveness and 39 in the review of qualitative evidence (one study was included in both reviews).

Flow of literature through the review.

Included under terms of UK Non-commercial Government License .

• Cite this Page Lorenc T, Petticrew M, Whitehead M, et al. Crime, fear of crime and mental health: synthesis of theory and systematic reviews of interventions and qualitative evidence. Southampton (UK): NIHR Journals Library; 2014 Mar. (Public Health Research, No. 2.2.) Chapter 4, Systematic reviews: methods.
• PDF version of this title (2.4M)

In this Page

Other titles in this collection.

• Public Health Research

Recent Activity

• Systematic reviews: methods - Crime, fear of crime and mental health: synthesis ... Systematic reviews: methods - Crime, fear of crime and mental health: synthesis of theory and systematic reviews of interventions and qualitative evidence

Your browsing activity is empty.

Activity recording is turned off.

Turn recording back on

Connect with NLM

National Library of Medicine 8600 Rockville Pike Bethesda, MD 20894

Web Policies FOIA HHS Vulnerability Disclosure

Help Accessibility Careers

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

NCJRS Virtual Library

Criminal investigation - a selective literature review and bibliography, additional details.

Ottawa, Ontario K1A OP8 Canada , Canada

340 Laurier Avenue, West , Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0P8 Canada , Canada

Box 6000, Dept F , Rockville , MD 20849 , United States

No download available

Availability.

• Find in a Library
• Order Photocopy

Related Topics