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legal databases...

  • 05-04-2011 03:44PM
    #1
    lallychops
    Closed Accounts Posts: 302 ✭✭


    does anyone have any tips on using these? examples...westlaw...lexisnexis..and the likes....find them incredibly difficult to use. can never pinpoint what im looking for...advice appreciated!


Comments

  • #2
    234
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,529 ✭✭✭234


    Well if you are looking for a specific case then just use the citation. If you are just researching a general topic then you will have to do lots of reading, that's just the nature of the law.


  • #3
    littlemac1980
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,073 ✭✭✭littlemac1980


    use quote marks and boolean search operands.

    So instead of searching for: Adverse Possession Leasehold Limitation

    Use: "Adverse Possession" and "Leasehold" and "Limitation"

    That should significantly reduce the number of hits to those that contain all of the exact words in the quotes.

    If you don't use those you'd get hits containing any of the words.


  • #4
    whydoibother?
    Closed Accounts Posts: 758 ✭✭✭whydoibother?


    It can be helpful to make use of the other search fields such as journal title and author, to narrow things down e.g. if there is a journal dedicated to the subject or an author you know has written loads on the topic in the past, see if they've written anything lately. Limiting by date is also helpful.

    Your college may run classes on how to use them or the library may run training courses. If there is nothing organized for soon, try speaking to a law librarian.


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