Resources for Public law and regulation
Finding out about the lawThe best way to start any legal assignment is to get a general understanding of the particular area of law you are interested in. To get an overview of legal principles and find out the key legislation and cases involved, try the following resources...Legal encyclopaediasLegal encyclopaedias are a great place to find information about the law, especially if you do not know the subject area well. They give a very detailed overview of all different areas of law and provide references to key cases, legislation and some secondary material.There are two legal encyclopaedias that you can use. It is often a good idea to consult both as they differ in both the information provided and currency.
BooksBooks are another source where you can find a detailed description of the legal principles involved in a particular area of law, such as torts. Some books will be basic textbooks that provide information about the law - others, known as casebooks, will also provide extracts of key cases. Other books may include essays which analyse the law or a legal issue.To find books on corporations and business law, use the library catalogue and search by keyword or subject. A number of essential books and readings may also have been placed in the Law Readings / eReadings Collection - use the Readings search tab in the catalogue to find this material. You could also browse the shelves in the Law Library at the following call numbers:
Some key texts for torts include:
Loose-leaf servicesLoose-leaf services can be thought of as subject specific encyclopaedias and they are often referred to as 'practitioners' bibles' due to the depth of information included. They provide detailed commentary about a particular area of law and often include the full-text of key legislation (including detailed history) and cases.
Finding journal articlesJournal articles are a great source for finding information about or an analysis of the law or a particular legal issue. When writing assignments at university, you are often required to refer to the work of others to support your own arguments and quality journal articles written by experts in the field are excellent resources you can refer to.The best way to find journal articles is to use one of the many online journal indexes - otherwise known as databases. These allow you to search for interesting articles from many different journals at once. Some will provide you with the full-text of articles straight away - others will provide a citation, which you can then use to track down the full-text from another source. Key databases for tort law include:
Most library databases index scholarly journals. Many also index magazines, newspapers and trade publications; some may also index conference papers, book chapters, theses and government reports. Finding the lawLegislation
WebsitesSee the Library's Guide to Internet Research for how to find, evaluate and cite Internet information.
Need more help?Not sure how to plan your research? Click here for some handy ideas... Not sure how to use particular databases? Click here for some brief 'how to' guides... Want some specific advice? Contact Heidi, the Law and Legal Studies Liaison Librarian, on 8201 2577 or email heidi.savilla@flinders.edu.au
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