Here are some guideposts to help you navigate this decision:
Consider your topic carefully - most topics don't live in a bubble of just one discipline or field. Think about what disciplines might relate to or have a great impact on your topic. Different disciplines and their corresponding databases provide access to different resources, researchers who bring different perspectives and help you build a much more rounded and complete picture to serve as the foundation for your own research or opinions.
Subject databases vs. multi-disciplinary databases
A subject database such as Criminal Justice Abstracts, is one that focuses on a specific discipline or field of study. Sometimes they even focus on a smaller, specialized area within a discipline. They tend to have a deep collection of resources on that one discipline/subject.
A multi-disciplinary database is one that covers a broad range of disciplines and fields of study. While as a whole these databases have a vast number of resources, the number within each individual discipline/subject that it covers are much smaller than a subject database would cover. However, using a multi-disciplinary databse is a great way to connect to other disciplines related to your topic that might not have considered.
Consider the type of resources you need: books, scholaryly articles, statistics, legal cases, etc. Some databases focus on a limited number of publication types while others offer a broad range.
Key take away: You should always use multiple databases and resources if you want to succeed with any research project.
Access to full text, abstracting and indexing of over 270 core journals covering research areas in international criminal justice and criminology such as criminal law, corrections, policing & investigation and forensic science.
A comprehensive collection of U.S. and international criminal justice journals including information for professionals in law enforcement, corrections administration, drug enforcement, rehabilitation, family law, and industrial security.
Full-text documents from over 5,600 news, business, legal (including cases and legislation), medical, and reference publications with a variety of flexible search options.
Legal Web site, providing the most comprehensive set of legal resources on the Internet for legal professionals, corporate counsel, law students, businesses, and consumers.
Website of the U.S. Department of Justice's National Criminal Justice Reference Service, an information clearinghouse for people around the U.S. and the world involved with research, policy, and practice related to criminal and juvenile justice, and drug control.
Full-text coverage from top psychology and related publications. Users get access to charts, diagrams, graphs, tables, photos, and other graphical elements essential to psychological research.
Search full-text scientific journals covering the social sciences. Provides information on hundreds of topics, including: Addiction studies, Urban studies, Family studies, International relations.
Full text coverage on topics: emotional and behavioral characteristics, psychiatry & psychology, mental processes, anthropology, and observational and experimental methods.
Citations and summaries of scholarly journal articles, book chapters, books, and dissertations, all in psychology and related disciplines, dating as far back as the 1800s.
