LibGuides: Open-Access Resources: Sociology and Criminology

Introduction

This page contains a selected list of sources for open-access materials in the subject areas of sociology and criminology.

Many more resources on the social sciences can be found under the tabs in this guide entitled Books (Mostly) and Articles and Sources of Mixed Materials. Patrons might also search under tabs of disciplines closely related to sociology.

Aggregators of Data

Data USA
From the website's self-description, "Data USA [is] the most comprehensive website and visualization engine of public US Government data. Data USA tells millions of stories about America. Through advanced data analytics and visualization, it tells stories about: places in America...where they are thriving, where they are declining and their interconnectedness to each other..."
Community Commons
From the website's self-description, "Community Commons is a place where data, tools, and stories come together to inspire change and improve communities. We provide public access to thousands of meaningful data layers that allow mapping and reporting capabilities so you can thoroughly explore community health." It is useful for research other than community health.

Data.gov Describes itself as the "The home of the U.S. Government's Open Data". Data, tools, and other resources for research. Over 254, 669 datasets.

Explore Census Data Replaced American Factfinder at the end of March 2020. Advanced Search allows for very specific searches.

Articles

SocArXiv A subset of OFS Preprints This subset contains preprints in the social and behavioral sciences, arts and humanities, law and education.

SSRN Articles and preprints. Range of disciplines in the social sciences.

For others in this discipline search in the Directory of Open Access Journals using the Browse function to get a list of disciplines. All journals in the DOAJ can be searched by individual title using Hofstra University's Journal Finder. OneSearch should also pick up the content.

Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World Newly launched (2015) open access journal of the American Sociological Association.

EconPapers Provides access to RePEc the world's largest collection of on-line Economic working papers, journal articles and software.

Books, Theses and Dissertations

National Academy Press Created by the National Academies. Publishes primarily in the sciences and medicine although some materials in behavior sciences are also present. PDF's can be downloaded.

Sources of Statistics

National Criminal Justice Reference Service Also provides abstracts and reports and information about grants and sources of funding.

New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services Click on Statistics tab.

Bureau of Justice Statistics

National Archive of Criminal Justice Data

Federal Bureau of Investigation Reports & Publications

Federal Bureau of Investigation Uniform Crime Reports

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

National Sex Offender Public Website

Justice Research and Statistics Association

National Institute of Justice Crime Solutions

United States Sentencing Commission

Police Executive Research Forum

Court Statistics Project

Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics
Held in HeinOnline. This is the Sourcebook previously maintained by the University at Albany.

Subject Guide

David Woolwine

Contact:

902C Axinn Library, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11549-1230

david.woolwine@hofstra.edu

Subjects: African Studies, Anthropology, Criminology, International Students, LGBTQ+ Studies, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Sociology

Primary Sources

Independent Voices Alternative newspapers, magazines, and journals. Drawn from the later half of the 20th century, many from the 1960s and 1970s.

Rutgers Oral History Archives (ROHA) The site presents oral history interviews and other resources.

American Prison Newspapers, 1800-2020 (Open Access) This link opens in a new window
American Prison Newspapers brings together hundreds of newspapers published within prisons by incarcerated people over the past 200 years. When complete, the collection will contain newspapers from prisons in every state, representing penal institutions of all kinds, including women-only institutions.
Student Activism (Open Access) This link opens in a new window
The Student Activism collection is intended to serve as a scholarly bridge from the extensive history of student protest in the United States to the study of today's vibrant, continually unfolding actions. The collection captures the voices of students across the great range of protest, political actions, and equal-rights advocacy from the 20th and early 21st century United States. The primary sources are broad-based across time, geography, and political viewpoint — from conservative to anarchist.