Legal Research Workshops

Developing a research topic and approaches to legal research

Monday 4 March , 1pm

Online

In this workshop we will look at where to find ideas for research topics and how to keep in touch with areas of research interest.

We will also work through four different approaches to legal research:

• problem based
• law reform
• foreign and comparative
• legal theory.

Decolonising research

Tuesday 5 March, 1pm

Online

In this workshop we will look at:

• the first steps to decolonising research
• the  lens with which students undertake research
• the voices traditionally privileged in research
• the ways students can decolonise their research.

Developed and delivered by Cassandra Seery from the Ian Malkin Centre for Legal Academic Skills.

Finding secondary sources for your research paper

Monday 11 March, 1pm

Online

In this workshop we will investigate how to use secondary sources effectively. We will be looking at

• legal encyclopedias & dictionaries
• how to effectively search for books and e-books in the catalogue
• effective journal article searches in key databases
• other secondary sources that may also be useful.

Researching Australian Legislation

Tuesday 12 March, 1pm

Online

In this workshop we will be looking at

• The Australian legislative process and the materials the resources that this process produces
• How to find the resources that build up to a piece of legislation and are linked to a piece of legislation
• How to find point in time legislation
• How to find cases and secondary sources that are linked to a piece of legislation in key databases.

Researching Australian Case Law

Thursday 14 March, 1pm

Online

In this workshop we will look at:

• What is an authorised report?
• Australian case law and citator databases.
• Know the differences in how the databases report cases.
• How the different databases link into secondary sources, that are related to cases.

Managing your research with Zotero

Monday 18 March, 1pm

Online

To get the most out of this workshop please download Zotero and the Zotero connector.

In this workshop we will look at:

• how to add the latest version of the AGLC into Zotero, as the preferred referencing system
• how to load resources into your Zotero library
• how to edit resources in the library
• how to add bibliographic information into a document via the Zotero connector.

Researching international public law

Tuesday 19 March, 1pm

Online

In this workshop we will look at:

• sources of public international law
• how to search treaty databases
• how to find international cases
• how to find UN documents
• useful international sources that the library subscribes to.

Foreign and comparative law

Monday 25 March, 1pm

Online

In this workshop we will look at:

• how to find out about the legal system of different countries
• key secondary sources that will help build research on a foreign law system
• key primary sources that will help build research on a foreign law system
• where to go for comparative legal research.

Technology and the law

Tuesday 26 March, 1pm

Online

In this workshop we will look at:

• key reference materials and specialist databases
• how to search for sources focusing on technology and the law
• how new ways of connecting and doing business are impacting the law.