SJD Research Guide

Legal research can be difficult. Finding the answers to complex legal questions often requires the review and analysis of a variety of legal sources, including primary sources such as case law, statutes, regulations, and the constitution. Often times, secondary sources such as law review articles and treatises, or the information provided on government or agency websites can act as a gateway to valuable information. 

Successful researchers routinely rely on a combination of resources, some creative thinking, and the determination to persevere through times of frustration. You already have a law degree and are skilled in research, but you may still need help with the specialized research needed for your dissertation. Ask a librarian for help finding the right sources for your project!  Use this form to Submit a Student Research Question.

• Is there a distinct legal issue you need more info about? Are you trying to locate a specific document? Is there a non-law subject that you need to read about?

• Have you done research in this area before? How much background do you have? Do you need to use a secondary source to get familiar?

• Do you know where to find secondary sources on-topic? What primary sources are available?

• Use indexes, tables of contents, digests, and keyword searching to locate material that is on-point
• Are these sources authoritative? Do they lead to other relevant materials? Do they address your legal issue?

• Are the sources you found the most up-to-date? Have they been superseded by later law or editions?

Step 6: Repeat as needed.

It's okay to Google. Sometimes.

• Google is a GREAT place to start your research. However, it can't be the extent of your research. 
• Use Google searching, and especially advanced searching and specialized tools like Google Scholar, when you need quick background information and feel confident of your ability to evaluate your results, or when you need to locate web resources like legal blogs addressing a rapidly developing area of law or current events. 
• Google site searching can be useful when you need to find specific known documents, or to extract relevant materials from a government or agency website. Try typing site:https://www.ssa.gov "strategic plan" into a Google search bar to find a Social Security Administration strategic plan. Or include filetype:pdf  in your search to limit to PDF documents, which may help narrow your search to a specific document.

Keep notes as you go.

• General notes can include things such as what databases you used, what filters or search parameters you applied, and what keywords you actually used.
• Specific notes can include which articles you have actually reviewed, which ones keep showing up, and which ones are highly cited.
• Use the citation features in the databases you search to keep track of the articles and cases you find. Or use Zotero to keep track of your citations.
• Notes about prolific authors are also helpful – who is quoted often in a certain area? Use tools like Web of Science or search within legal databases by author to see what else scholars have written. Hein Online's Law Journals Library offers citation counts by author. 

Start general and narrow your results to a manageable list.

• Every database has some sort of “filtering” functionality. It may be in the search parameters or in the results lists – find it and use it.
• Learning to read the results list is the first battle to online research. Take some time early on to really figure out what you are looking at and find the articles that are most on-point.

Research is an art, not a science.

• It takes some time to play around with things and find the “sweet spot” for your topic. This is where taking notes can save you a lot of time.
• When you start to get frustrated, take a step away. Try to re-focus. Or ask for help. We are here to help you find what you need in a reasonable amount of time.  Let us help you.

Publication Indexes

Indexes go beyond the full-text journal collections available in Westlaw and Lexis and provide indexing and abstracts for large numbers of English-language law reviews, legal newspapers, bar association publications, and international legal journals. While these resources may only provide an abstract of the article or publication you are interested in, your results may be more precise by retrieving just articles by subject heading. And often the full-text may be located through a more comprehensive database like HeinOnline or by using the eJournal Finder.

Legal Resource Index (formerly LegalTrac): requires Westlaw login

Index to Legal Periodicals and Books 

Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals 

Citation Databases

Web of Science is a collection of multidisciplinary citation databases, including Science Citation Index, Social Sciences Citation Index, the Arts & Humanities Citation Index, Current Chemical Reactions, and Index Chemicus. Because the information stored about each article includes the article's cited reference list (i.e., its bibliography), you can also search for articles that cite a known author or work.

Additional resources may also be found in our Electronic Resources, Databases: A-Z on the library’s webpage.  

A team of five dual-degreed librarians (who have obtained both a JD and an MLIS) can meet with you one-on-one to discuss your specific research goals and objectives and can help you create an effective and efficient legal research strategy. Simply complete a request for a Student Research Consultation on the library’s website under Research at MacMillan, “Student Research.” A librarian will contact you to make arrangements for an individual meeting.