Reference sources provide background information about your topic. They provide context and help you gain a clearer understanding of the issue or subject you are writing about. They provide you with an overview of the topic and can help you focus your investigation by providing common subtopics, events, personalities, and keywords. Normally you do cite a reference source because it is Subject Common Knowledge.
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Statistical Abstract of the United States
Statistical Abstract of the United StatesThis link opens in a new windowThe Statistical Abstract of the United States, published since 1878, is the authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States.
Using a Reference Source
Crime Statistics on the Open Web
Sourcebook of Criminal Justice StatisticsContents
Section 1 - Characteristics of the criminal justice systems
Section 2 - Public attitudes toward crime and criminal justice-related topics
Section 3 - Nature and distribution of known offenses
Section 4 - Characteristics and distribution of persons arrested
Section 5 - Judicial processing of defendants
Section 6 - Persons under correctional supervision
National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS)Established in 1972, the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) is a federally funded resource offering justice and drug-related information to support research, policy, and program development worldwide.
Bureau Of Justice StatisticsThe Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) is the United States' primary source for criminal justice statistics.
BJS mission:
To collect, analyze, publish, and disseminate information on crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operation of justice systems at all levels of government. These data are critical to federal, state, and local policymakers in combating crime and ensuring that justice is both efficient and evenhanded
Crime in the United StatesThe FBI’s UCR Program is a nationwide, cooperative statistical effort of nearly 18,000 city, university and college, county, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies voluntarily reporting data on crimes brought to their attention.