Not sure where to begin your search? Secondary sources will help.
If you are unfamiliar with the legal topic you are researching, secondary sources are a good place to start, particularly legal dictionaries and encyclopaedias. These reference materials include definitions of key legal terms, and often identify relevant case law and legislation. Refer to the Law Library website's Database List > By Type page and Secondary Sources for Law Research Guide for links to reference material.
Multi-disciplinary databases are great for extending your research beyond legal databases and searching across disciplines. To find other databases by subject areas outside of law, refer to library guides on the University of Melbourne Library site.
TIP: Keyword searches in these databases will yield thousands of results. Refine your search using the database filters.
Google Scholar and Discovery may find some useful material, with direct links to the resource in our catalogue (see the University's Google Scholar guide). However, many recent articles from authoritative legal databases will not be retrieved from Google Scholar and Discovery, so they should not be solely relied upon. Always search the databases listed in guides and on our website for up-to-date, relevant and authoritative legal research.
For more information on different search pathways, refer to the Comparing Search Pathways library guide.
The following resources provide access to recently published research across a range of disciplines.
Be alert to the date ranges of databases. Most databases such as Informit, Lexis+ and Westlaw commence in the early to mid-1980s. If you are looking for earlier legal periodicals, try searching the following databases:
Strengthen your research by drawing on multiple perspectives, particularly from people with direct experience of legal processes.
Some resources to think about:
The guides and databases below will help find these sources, but also have a look online for organisations working in the specific area of law you are researching.