Getting Started in the Library
When you are assigned a research paper or project, you may feel a little overwhelmed. There is so much information, and so little time!
How do you go about finding just the information you need? Experienced researchers follow a process called a "search strategy." The search strategy outlined in following pages will help guide you through the process of finding primary and secondary sources for your research paper.
Start your research as early as possible. The extra lead time will allow you to take full advantage of the services offered by the library, including specialized reference assistance and document delivery of items not available in the Helmke Library.
Here are some resources to get you started:
Guides to Legal Research
- Effective Legal Research - REF KF240 .P7
A practical guide to effective legal research, this new edition presents the information on a step-by-step format leading students through the world of legal research from using a law library to searching online. - Legal Research: How to Find & Understand the Law - REF KF240 .E35 2004
- Legal Information: How to Find It, How to Use It - REF KF240 .O365 While most legal research books focus on the needs of beginning law students or litigants, Legal Information takes a broader view of the law, including its value in other disciplines. It explains why legal information exists in certain formats, and describes how to get the most out of the major legal reference tools. It also suggests the best sources for different kinds of information and explains how these resources compare to other available materials.
Background Information
- CQ Researcher
Investigates "hot" topics in the news and presents concise and well-balanced information from all sides of the issue. Each report is written by an experienced journalist and includes a "Pro/Con" segment, a chronology, and a bibliography. US focus with some coverage of international affairs. - Great American Court Cases - REF KF385 .A4 G68 (4-volumes)
Law Dictionaries
- Dictionary of Law
With over 8,000 terms and expressions, provides clear, concise and fully up-to-date information on all aspects of civil, criminal and commercial law. Examples and encyclopedic comments help to explain complex terms from British, European and US legal procedure. - Black's Law Dictionary - REF KF156 .B53
For more than a century Black's has been the gold standard for the language of law. It contains more than 45,000 terms and includes: 2,000 more terms than the 8th Edition and 19,000 more than the 7th Edition including click fraud, Code Adam, collaborative law, ecoterrorism, environmental tort, friendly subpoena, happy-slapping, honor crime, secret detention, Schumer box, and super precedent.
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