This assessment help page assumes you have read the unit outline, assessment description and marking rubric provided in Moodle.
Assessment 2 requires you to write:
An annotated bibliography
Assessment 3 requires you to write:
A position argument
Topics to debate
Should prisoners always complete the full term of the sentence imposed or should they be eligible for parole?
Is mandatory sentencing always appropriate for repeat offenders?
Should the age of criminal responsibility be raised from 10 to 14 years?
The following document and website will help you understand what is expected of you in writing an annotated bibliography.
For more details see https://studyskills.federation.edu.au/assessment/written-tasks/annotated-bibliography/
If you need help with writing your annotated bibliography see a Learning Skills Advisor. Learning skills advisors are professional educators who can help you achieve your academic goals. They are available at all campuses to work with you. For more details see https://federation.edu.au/current-students/learning-and-study/get-help-on-campus/learning-skills-advisors. Select Book with an LSA now to book a one-on-one appointment and to see the other options available for assistance.
Start planning your search by:
| Key concepts | Alternative terms |
| Prisoners | inmates, criminals, offenders |
| Parole | probation |
| Police | police officers, law enforcement |
| Mandatory sentencing |
Minimum sentencing, fixed penalties |
| Recidivism | Reoffending, repeat offending |
Now use Boolean operators to connect your search terms.
Use OR to combine all the terms for the same concept: prisoners OR inmates OR criminals OR offenders
Use AND to combine terms from different concepts: prisoners AND parole
Use quotation marks to search for a phrase: "mandatory sentencing"
Use brackets to group all terms from the same concept together: (prisoners OR inmates OR criminals OR offenders)
Watch the following video to learn more about Boolean operators
When you put it together you have a search strategy
(prisoners OR inmates OR criminals OR offenders) AND (parole OR probation)
You will probably need to conduct multiple searches and alter your search terms as you go.
Consider using the Search Builder Tool which is available in the following tab. This tool will guide you through developing a search strategy and you will be able to cut and paste the suggested search strategy straight into QuickSearch or a Database.
What is your research question?
Type your research question into the box above, then click the Next button (below).
Copy and paste the search strategy into Scopus or your preferred database
Suggested databases for Criminal Justice are:
According to The Twelfth International Conference on Grey Literature (2010), grey literature is the name given to literature that is not widely disseminated, but is of sufficient quality to be housed by repositories or libraries. It is usually distributed by individuals or non-commercial publishers.
Common examples of grey literature include:
To find out more about Grey Literature and how to find it check out our Grey Literature subject guide
How to search for reports
Google offers advanced features to allow you to limit your search by domain:
This task requires the use of formal academic writing, and the presentation of clear arguments backed up by evidence. The following helpsheets will help you with your planning, structuring and writing your position argument:
If you need help with planning and writing this piece of work, see a Learning Skills Advisor (LSA). LSAs are professional educators who can help you achieve your academic goals. They are available at all campuses to work with you. For more details see https://federation.edu.au/current-students/learning-and-study/get-help-on-campus/learning-skills-advisors. Select Book with an LSA now to book a one-on-one appointment and to see the other options available for assistance.
The Study Skills website includes the full list of helpsheets, available as downloadable PDFs.
FedCite is the one stop shop for all your referencing needs. In this unit, you need to use APA 7. Look at the Using APA7 section to find out general information on how to cite and reference, and the source types for specific examples.
Don't forget to check out the Referencing tab located in this guide.
