introduction to legal research
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Introduction to Legal Research. Michelle Louise Atkin Reference Librarian Subject Specialist for Law and Human Rights Carleton University Library. Introduction to Legal Research. By the end of this class you will be able to: Locate materials in the Reference Collection - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Introduction to Legal Research
Michelle Louise Atkin
Reference Librarian
Subject Specialist for Law and Human Rights
Carleton University Library
Introduction to Legal Research
By the end of this class you will be able to:
Locate materials in the Reference Collection
Use various Online Resources to find journal articles, newspapers, government and NGO information
Evaluate the sources you use
I can find everything I need on the Web…right? Pro’s
– Can access information from home– Able to access credible and accurate information from a
variety of sources (ie. Governments, Non Governmental Organizations, International Organizations, Educational Institutions, etc).
– In some cases the most up to date information is available on the web
Con’s – Sponsor/author/origin of the page not listed – Trouble verifying the accuracy of the information contained – Date of last update not posted– Material has not been subjected to a peer review
Why Use the Library?
There is a Sea of Information out there. Our job is to help you navigate: – With more than 3 billion pages on the Internet
finding credible information can become daunting – Our skilled Reference Staff to help get you started
on the right foot– Subject Specialists to help you prepare your
research strategy and provide you with advice on the best sources to use
A Sea of Information
SOURCES Dictionaries Encyclopaedias Atlases Yearbooks Bibliographies Periodical Indexes and
Abstracts Journals and
Newspapers Books Press Releases Web Sites
PUBLISHERS Publishing Houses Governments News Services Higher Education
Institutions Research
Institutions/Labs Private Companies Associations/
Organizations
How To Make The Library Work For You!
Consult with your Professor – the better you understand what is expected of you the greater the chance that you will succeed!
If you need help getting started don’t be shy to ask, we are here to help!
– Call us: 520-2735– Email us: Ask Us! – Visit us in person
I know what I want…How do I find it?
Paper Guides to the Reference Collection Go to the Library Home Page to find Books,
Journals, Subject Guides, and so much more! !– Catalogue– Online Resources– Ask us!
Reference Guides
Paper based reference guides are available for all discipline and include:– Guides to the Literature– Dictionaries and Encyclopedias– Yearbooks– Periodical Indexes– Bibliographies, etc.
Catalogue
The main tool for finding books is the Library Catalogue
Boolean Search Operators at work:– “Phrase”, or, *, and (default)
Keyword vs. Subject
Scholarly Journal Articles Scholarly Journals
– A scholarly journal is generally one that is published by and for experts.
– Scholarly articles are subjected to a peer review process
Popular magazines – Geared towards a general audience. – Articles tend to be written by staff writers or
freelance journalists and rarely contain bibliographic citations.
Finding Journal Articles and Newspapers
Online Resources– The Journal Articles & Other Databases
page contains many journal article and newspaper databases which will allow you to search for articles on your topic.
Possible Databases to Consult
PAIS (Public Affairs Information Service) Worldwide Political Science Abstracts Columbia International Affairs Online (CIAO)
FT Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe
Online Subject Guides
Prepared by the Library Subject Specialist for that area
Provide links to the web and Library holdings– Human Rights– Legal Research– Government Documents
Good Luck with your Research!