Finding legal resources online: the easy way

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Finding legal resources online the easy way

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Aims of the session

• To introduce students to the nature and structure
  of the principal legal electronic services for
  academic study, and to familiarise them with the
  basic navigation of the services in order to
  locate primary and secondary legal resources

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So I just search Google, right?

• No! use specialist, subscription-based legal
  services (databases)
• Principally WestlawUK and LexisNexis Professional
  (there is also LawtelUK)
• Both include domestic case law and legislation
  and a range of legal journals
• Accessible on and off campus

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Learning outcomes

• After the session, you will be able to
• locate and access the electronic services
  available at Warwick for legal studies
• use these services to consult case law,
  legislation and journal articles contained on a
  typical course reading list
• carry out basic searches to locate journal
  articles on a particular legal topic to assist
  you with seminar and assignment work

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Structure of session

• Use workbook as a teaching resource
• Work through Tasks 1 and 2 together to gain
  confidence and familiarity
• Work through Tasks 3 individually to progress
  your skills
• It is not a race, so work at your own pace
• To close, look at issues with locating journals
  and draw thoughts together

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Task 1

• Page 2 of workbook

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http//go.warwick.ac.uk/library
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Anybody not know about ATHENS usernames and
passwords?
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Scroll down to bottom of screen
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UK case law
UK Legislation (Acts and SIs)
Journal articles
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Task 2

• Page 3 of workbook

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Over to you

• Work through Tasks 3 onwards in the workbook at
  your own pace
• If at any stage you need help or have a question
  to ask, please seek our attention
• Wrap up/summary in the last 10 minutes

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Wrap up

• Pause now - you can continue and refer to the
  workbook exercises outside the class
• Any questions at this point?

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Relationship with print sources

• Not dealing with different legal sources
• Primary sources case law and legislation
• Secondary sources journal articles
• Essential difference is the mode of access to and
  delivery of the material
• Digitally on a computer, rather than in print

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Accessing an e-journal article

• Two-step process
• Access the journal on an electronic service using
  Library e-journals listing or Catalogue
• Locate the article on the particular service by
  searching and/or browsing
• Example
• Bamforth, N. Sado-masochism and consent. 1994
  Crim. L.R. 661-664.

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1. Search by journal title
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Off-campus, Library barcode and PIN are required
for access
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2. Search and/or browse for article
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WestlawUK v. LexisNexis

• To some degree, which you use is a matter of
  personal preference
• Coverage of main case law series
• Law Reports on both, including Appeal Cases (AC)
• Weekly Law Reports (W.L.R.) on WestlawUK
• All England Law Reports (All E.R.) on LexisNexis
• WestlawUK provides extra analytical information
  on cases and statutes and cross-referencing
• Because no crossover of full-text domestic
  journals, you may need to use both services
• Practise to gain confidence

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If ever you feel like this

• AAARRGGHHH!!!

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Help is at hand

• We are here to assist please ask!
• See Floor 4 lift lobby for database guides
• General Library database search training weeks
  3-9 sign up Floor 1 Enquiry Desk
• Help is offered by LexisNexis student rep.
• Further training for you in week 8 as part of
  MELS course, details to follow