In order to succeed at getting a degree in Criminology from almost any reputable college or graduate program, it will be necessary at one point or another that the students write research papers from the perspectives of different fields that relate to Criminology.  In some instances, the professors of the classes will enable the students to come up with a thesis of their own.  This allows more flexibility on the part of the student, since they are able to define for themselves what they want to discuss and what they want to leave out of their research.  As long as the research that is left out is not critical to the thesis, this is typically allowed.  However, in many cases the professors will not give the students this option.  Instead, the professor will supply the students with a question, or a list of questions from which the student can choose the one that they would most like to turn into a term or research paper.  The difference between these two scenarios is that the individual student needs to be sure that when they are doing a paper that has been assigned to them that they fully answer the research question posed to them.  If this is not accomplished, it is very likely that the student will not be able to get as competitive of a grade as they would otherwise have been entitled to.  This is why it is so important to fully tackle the research question.

When it comes to successfully answering posed questions with the greatest amount of success, students need to do their research.  For many people, it is beneficial to use the internet as a source of information.  Students need to be careful with this approach when they are trying to answer research questions for a grade.  There are many different websites on the internet, and not all of them are reputable.  Instead, students need to get their information for other places, or at least in addition to information found on the internet.

There are a number of different journals that are reputable and legitimate.  Easily found in many libraries, the Canadian Journal of Criminology and the British Journal of Criminology are two of the most successful available resources.  Both feature articles and information that comes from all different areas of the world and different academics.  Many schools will also have Criminology databases that can be accessed by students and this too provides a valuable tool during the research phase of a students Criminology paper.  The database includes journals, articles and periodicals that are popular within the world of Criminology.  Searching is very important for students to accomplish properly and it is important that they not give up before the research is completed.  Not only can this affect their grade, but it will not accurately show the capabilities of the students.  In order to successfully answer research questions that are posed to students by professors and teachers, students need to come up with a well defined thesis that can be supported by different theories and ideas that are or have been expressed within the Criminology arena.  Many professors are looking for new and expansive ideas, so this does not mean that the student needs to recycle material.  Rather, they need to draw on the work of individuals that have come before them and use the knowledge of the past to help promote their new ideas and concepts.