Start with a search of our two serial killer encyclopedias in the library and/or Wikipedia. Determine what names the individual went under, where he/she was active, and roughly what time period. Most databases do not have information earlier than about 1995.
For earlier literature, try the yearly New York Times Index in the reference room or the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature and Reader's Guide Retrospective. Also, JSTOR is a database that specializes in older articles. Ask a librarian for help.
Subject coverage includes antiques, arts, business, computers, education, entertainment, film & television, gardening, health & medicine, history, home improvement, literature, news & current events, photography, popular & classical music, politics, popular culture, religion, science, sports & fitness, transportation, travel and much more.
Subject coverage includes, arts, business, computers, crafts, dance, drama, education, entertainment, fashion, film & television, food, gardening, health and medicine, home improvement, literature, news and current events, photography, popular and classical music, politics, popular culture, religion, sports and fitness, technology, transportation, travel and more.
In databases, try variations on the name, including pseudonym. Place quotation marks around the name if results lists are too large.
After you have thoroughly searched the literature for your individual, search also for articles about topics related to the criminal, the crime, or issues surrounding it using the keyword strategies above.
Best databases for articles about specific serial killers include:
Subject areas covered include: criminology; criminal justice; criminal law and procedure; corrections and prisons; police and policing; criminal investigation; forensic sciences and investigation; history of crime; substance abuse and addiction; probation and parole.
APA PsycInfo is indexed with controlled vocabulary from APA's Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms®. Included is information on the psychological aspects of related fields such as medicine, psychiatry, nursing, sociology, education, pharmacology, technology, linguistics, anthropology, business, law and others. Journal coverage, which spans from the 1800s to the present, includes international material selected from periodicals in dozens of languages.
You can find information about individual serial killers in newspaper and article databases:
Global Newsstream includes ProQuest US, Canadian, and International Newsstream. For the U.S., access to current content, as well as archives that stretch back into the 1980s, with top newspapers, wires, broadcast transcripts, blogs, and news sites in full-text format. Selective coverage of Canadian and international news sources.
Including The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Newsday, and Chicago Tribune.
We have found that Science Direct includes information on serial killers, as does Medline.
Full-text of articles published in 900+ selected Elsevier journals (1998 - present).
Providing access to peer-reviewed scientific, technical, and health journals that span major scientific disciplines. Articles published open access are peer-reviewed and made free for everyone to read, download and reuse in line with the authors' choice of user license.
Articles in medical journals/medical research compiled by the National Library of Medicine. Includes detailed and controlled medical terminology (MESH headings) for each entry, to identify and fully trace research on specific medical topics.
Subjects include biomedicine and life sciences, bioengineering, public health, clinical care, and plant and animal science.
Getting the Text of Articles
Searching a database will provide citations to scholarly journal articles and other scientific research.
To access the full-article, look for links to:
If there are no full-text links, use Find It! to see if article is available in another library subscription.
Need Help?
Ask your Librarian!Librarians are available in person, via online chat, via email, by appointment, and by phone. Please contact us if you need further assistance with your research.