It has been twenty years since I was enrolled as a student at a university. Back then I took for granted having access to millions of scientific journal articles and social science research papers at my fingertips, all for free.

As a post-conviction lawyer, many of my cases involve forensic evidence, jury venire issues, new technology, etc. Not only do I need to familiarize myself with these topics, I often need to find the right expert to consult with on a particular case.

If I were still attending college, I could simply do a search in one of the many journal databases available for free to students. But I do not have that option now. So I have learned to improvise. Below are the resources I use when conducting free scientific and social science research.

1. Google Scholar. Google Scholar has tons of articles and case law, all searchable using the same format as any other Google search. If you have a Google Account, Scholar gives you access to a personal library to store your content. The “recent articles” feature allows you to view only the most recent research. Finally, and perhaps the best part, is Google Scholar Alerts. This feature allows you to receive email updates with links to new articles on topics of particular interest to you.

2. YouTube, Spotify, Netflix, etc. YouTube, Rumble, Odysee, and other online video platforms allow users to search and view thousands of videos on tons of topics relevant to criminal law. Podcast platforms are also searchable and contain a plethora of information of interest to criminal defense practitioners. There are dozens of podcasts that focus on particular cases, wrongful convictions, child welfare services, etc. Finally, streaming apps such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc. always have documentaries on criminal cases, exonerations, and other criminal law-related topics.

3. Elsevier.com. This website provides open access to thousands of articles in its academic and scientific journals. More and more authors are making their new research available on the website. It is a great resource for forensic evidence studies in particular.