This document provides an overview of how to effectively research legal topics using electronic resources. It discusses databases like HeinOnline, Lexis Library, and Westlaw which contain primary legal documents. It demonstrates how to search these databases to find cases, legislation, and journal articles using keywords, natural language searches, and proximity operators. The document also discusses evaluating information found on freely available websites using criteria like authority, accuracy, currency, audience, and design. It concludes by mentioning that OSCOLA is the standard citation style for legal documents in the UK.
2. Session Objectives
ï Weâll look at the legal databases available
and selecting appropriate subject keywords
when searching them
ï Finding EJournals
ï How best to approach your research
questions
ï Freely available websites on the Internet and
evaluating them
3. End of Session
ïBe equipped to use search
techniques to search the electronic
resources effectively
ïHave some understanding of how to
critically assess information available
on the Internet
22. Westlaw-Main Search Page
You can search either
using the Tabs across
You can use Westlaw to find the top of the page or
Acts,Cases, Current Awareness and the Boxes/Text below
Journal Articles
23. Westlaw-Content
ï Provides full text of UK amended legislation
ï Full text of EU legislation and case law
ï UK court decisions from 1220 from The Law
Reports series published by the ICLR(Incorporated
Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales)
ï Other law report series such as Weekly Law Reports
ï Selected High Court and Tribunal judgments back
to 1999
24. Westlaw contâd-Content
ïContains Legal Journals Index
providing full text journal articles for
many titles such as Criminal Law
Review, European Human Rights
Law Review
29. PDF Format
View entire act and refer
to Table of Contents in
the Sidebar to get
updates regarding
provisions Repealed
and In Force
30. Cases
You can search either
using the BROWSE
feature which is
useful if you know the
name of the Law
Report series you
wish to search or the
SEARCH Window
Above
37. Westlaw-Subject Searching Cases
ïDifferent ways of searching for cases on a
specific subject
ïWeâll do a General Search first and then
narrow our search by making it more
specific
38. Cases-Free Text Search
TIP-Type a Phrase in âQuote Marksâ
Weâll use the
PHRASE âDefence
of Necessityâ as our
search keywords
40. Look at Result#4 From this List
Search keywords are
highlighted for you to
see
context/usefulness
in the paragraph
41. Proximity Searching
Narrowing the Search /p= paragraph
Here we are asking
the database to
search for the
PHRASE within the
Same paragraph as
the word TRIDENT
47. Use a Proximity Operator to Narrow the
Search
Weâve added
another keyword
anaesthetic and
asked the
database to search
for it in the same
paragraph as the
phrase
71. Tips for Evaluating Websites
1.Authority
ïWho is responsible for the site?
ïIs it a reliable organisation or a subject
expert?
ïCan you trust them?
72. Evaluating Websites(Contâd)
2. ACCURACY AND RELIABILITY
ï Is the information correct?
ï Are the grammar and spelling correct?
ï Is it complete or are they just giving one point of
view? Bias?
ï Do they have their own agenda?
ï Is the information fact or opinion?
73. Websites(Contâd)
3.CURRENCY
ï Can you tell how up to date it is? Is it regularly
updated?
ï You shouldnât be quoting out of date information
4. AUDIENCE
ï Is the information at the right level to be quoted in
your work?
74. Websites(Contâd)
5.FEEL
ï Is the site well structured and easy to navigate?
ï Are the links from the page up to date and valid?
ï If it is well designed and maintained then you can
feel more confident about the information it
provides
75. Citation Style
ï For law the âGold cardâ for style manuals is the
OSCOLA (Oxford) website.
ï If you wish to access it I have a link on my Law and
Legal Research Subject page.............see next slide