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Guide to Online Legal Research

Key databases for finding journal articles

If you're looking for articles about a particular topic, try looking in one of our databases. Databases are large collections of journal articles and other information. The following are relevant for journal articles relating to law:

Finding journal articles on a case

  1. Go to Informit.
  2. You will be taken to the Advanced Search page.
  3. Enter the name of the Case in the Enter Search term box provided. 
  4. To add more search boxes (fields), click on the red + sign.
  5. Select Journal under the Content Type drop down list. 
  6. To limit by Publication Date, select from the available options.
  7. Click on Search.
  8. On the results page, select the Case name under the Legal Cases filter.
  9. All journal articles that have considered the case will now be displayed.
  1. Go to Lexis Advance Research
  2. Locate the CaseBase record by searching by case name or citation in the Quick Find box
  3. Scroll down to view the Publications referring to this case
  1. Go to Westlaw AU.
  2. Click on Cases.
  3. Click on Advanced next to the main search box
  4. Enter the case name in the Case Title/Party Name search box (alternatively, you can enter the case citation, if known, in the Citation search box).
  5. Click on Search.
  6. Find the case in the results list.
  7. Click on Citing References and Secondary sources to see any journal articles citing the case.
  1. Go to AustLII.
  2. Click on the link to [LawCite].
  3. Enter either the case citation in the Citation: search box, or parties name in the Parties: search boxes.
  4. Enter court or jurisdiction if required.
  5. Click on Search.
  6. A record for the matching case will be displayed. Locate the section Law Journal Articles Referring to this Case to see information about relevant journal articles.

Finding journal articles using Google Scholar

Change your settings so that Find it @ SCU links automatically appear within Google Scholar in your search results:

  1. Click the three horizontal lines (top left) then go to Settings (the cog at the bottom of the list)
  2. Click Library links
  3. Type in Southern Cross University and click the search button
  4. Tick Southern Cross University - Find it @ SCU

If you use EndNote, under Bibliography Manager, select EndNote. 
Click Save.

To retain these settings, you must turn on cookies in your browser settings.

Google Scholar Search

Finding journal articles on a topic

  1. Go to Informit.
  2. You will be taken to the Advanced Search page.
  3. Enter your keywords/phrase in the Enter Search term box provided.
  4. To add more search boxes (fields), click on the red + sign.
  5. If required, select a field to search in from the Anywhere default box, i.e. Subjects. 
  6. To limit to full text only, check the Full Text box.
  7. Select Journal under the Content Type drop down list. 
  8. To limit by Publication Date, select from the available options.
  9. Click on Search.
  10. To narrow/refine your results, select relevant filters to the left of the list of results.

Please go to Lexis Advance Research to access this title.

  1. Go to Westlaw AU.
  2. Click on Secondary sources.
  3. Under By Type select Law Reviews & Journals.
  4. Type your keywords and operators into the search bar or browse by subject area.
  5. Refine your results by entering additional keywords in the Search within results, or select relevant options from the Filters on the left hand side.
  1. Go to AustLII.
  2. Click on the link to Advanced Search (under the drop down arrow next to the search box).
  3. Select a search method by clicking on the relevant tab, i.e. Boolean Query.
  4. In the Enter your search box, enter relevant keyword/s or phrase.
  5. Enter a date range if required.
  6. In Select the database(s) to search...,deselect all databases by clicking on the arrow at the top of the list (note that the first time you search, all databases are selected by default).
  7. Select All Journals Databases from the list.
  8. Click on Advanced Search
  1. Go to HeinOnline.
  2. Click Law Journal Library under the Browse Databases by Name heading.
  3. Click Advanced Search under the search box at the top of the page.
  4. Type keywords into the search box/es.
  5. Select a search field from the drop down list next to the search box/es - recommend Text, Article Title or Author/Creator.
  6. On the results page, apply limits as required - e.g. Date, PathFinder Subject, Country published.
  1. Go to WorldLII.
  2. Click Advanced Search.
  3. In the Find box, select a search type from the drop down list, e.g. Boolean Query.
  4. Type keywords in the Enter search query: box.
  5. In the Select the WorldLII Database(s) to search: box, scroll through and select All Journals Databases from the list.
  6. Click Search.

Finding journal articles on legislation

  1. Go to Informit.
  2. You will be taken to the Advanced Search page.
  3. Enter the name of the Act in the Enter Search term box provided. 
  4. To add more search boxes (fields), click on the red + sign.
  5. To limit to full text only, check the Full Text box.
  6. Select Journal under the Content Type drop down list. 
  7. To limit by Publication Date, select from the available options.
  8. Click on Search.
  9. On the results page, select the title of the Act under the Legislation filter.
  10. All journal articles that have considered the Act will now be displayed.

Please go to the new database Lexis Advance Research to access this title.

  1. Go to Westlaw AU.
  2. Click on Secondary sources.
  3. Under By Type select Law Reviews & Journals.
  4. Click on Advanced next to the top search bar
  5. Enter the name of the Act or Regulation in the Legislation Cited (Title) search box and section number (if using) into the Legislation Cited (Provision) box.
  6. Click on Search.
  7. Refine your results by entering additional keywords in the Search within results box, or by selecting a relevant option from the Filters on the left hand side.

Explore Law journals with BrowZine

Subjects: Law
Tags: law, legal, research
  
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