Book Evaluation - The Criminal Law Handbook

1. A complete citation for the book

Bergman, P. (2002). The Criminal Law Handbook: Know Your Rights, Survive the System. Berkeley: Berkeley, California. Nolo.

2. Strategy for finding the book

a. How did you find the book?

I used the link from our class that guided us to NetLibrary. I searched within the database to see which books offered any information on the Double Jeopardy Clause. It gave me a list of options.

b. What database, book, bibliography, etc. did you find this source in?

I found it within the NetLibrary database.

c. What was your rationale for selecting that book? In other words, why did you think that book would be useful for your research?

I thought it would be useful because it was called the Criminal Law Handbook: Know your Rights and Survive the System. I knew that I could find many answers about the Double Jeopardy Clause in a book that is designed to help you learn about your rights.

3. Rationale for selection of the book

a. Why did you think that the book would be useful for your research, before you reviewed it? (Whether or not the book in fact turned out to be useful; you'll discuss that later.)

I thought it would be useful because NetLibrary allowed me to see some of the content that was discussing the Double Jeopardy Clause under the name of each book it listed. The information I found at this point looked like it would serve my interest.

4. General evaluation of the book

a. The authority, scope, intended audience, and currency or timeliness of the book.

The book was written by Paul Bergman. His intended audience is anyone who is interested in learning about their rights. This may cover a wide range of ages.

b. Select the evaluation criteria that are most appropriate for evaluating this particular book.

Authority, Credibility

c. List each and write a short explanation of how well the book fulfills the criteria.

Authority and Credibility are the most important criteria to evaluate this book. The writers and editors are professors at Berkeley. It was published in 2002 so the information is very recent. The source discusses all the rights of an American citizen. Its purpose is to teach its audience on how to survive the system. I believe it is a relevant source.

5. Example strategies used to search within the book

a. How did you find information within the book?

The database was very helpful in helping me find information within the source. To the side it listed all the pages that mentioned the Double Jeopardy Clause. It allowed me click on which ever one I wanted to read next. This saved me a lot of time instead of me searching through the database myself.

b. What terms did you use to search the book?

The only term I used was “Double Jeopardy”.

c. How did you combine these terms?

N/A

d. What other strategies did you use to find information within the book?

I did not have to use any other strategies because the database pointed me in every direction I wanted to go.

e. What were the results of your searches within the book?

My searches were very successful. The author used a very effective technique in writing this book. Instead of writing long paragraphs he listed questions and provided the answer to them. He also provided several case examples to strengthen what he was trying to convey.

6. A brief summary of the information yielded by the book. This follows up your rationale for selecting the book: your rationale for selection is why you thought that the book would be useful before you reviewed it; this section should explain how your opinion of the book changed once you actually reviewed it. This section should answer the following questions

a. What information does the book as a whole contain?

The book as a whole contains, in detail, information on all our constitutional rights.

b. What information does the book contain that is relevant to your research question?

It contains information on the Double Jeopardy Clause. This information is the core of my research question.

c. How does the book help you (or not) to answer your research question?

It explains the Double Jeopardy Clause clearer than previous sources I have found. It provides

a list of questions and offers the answer to all of them.

7. A revised draft of your research question, if one is needed

I do not want to change my research question at this moment. The sources I have found have been very helpful in answering my question.