One of the major forms of research conducted by criminologists is searching for and analyzing information in published materials. These materials include
• peer-reviewed journal articles (articles published in academic journals)
• government documents (reports such as those published by the National Institute of Justice [NIJ], FBI, etc.)
• mass media reports (articles in major newspapers [The New York Times, The Washington Post, etc.] and electronic media outlets [ABC, Fox, CNN, etc.])
Each of these kinds of information sources has its strengths and weaknesses. Depending on the kind of research a criminologist is conducting, one of these may prove more useful than the others.