When undertaking legal research, it is best to begin with secondary sources such as reference materials, books and journal articles as they will explain the legal landscape you are researching, and will often lead you to the key primary sources in your jurisdiction or topic of interest.
Reference materials such as legal dictionaries and encyclopaedias can provide a good overview on a new topic or jurisdiction:
More references can be found in the Dictionaries & Encyclopaedias section on the Law Library Research Databases - By Type list.
Journal databases that contain articles on specific jurisdictions are included in the Law Library's jurisdiction specific Research Guides. For a general list of journal databases, refer to the Research Databases - by Type Journal article section.
Below are selected databases that contain journal articles on a range of jurisdictions:
Books and book chapters can be good places to start your research. They often provide authoritative, scholarly and comprehensive treatment of topics, including references to relevant cases, legislation, and other books and articles.
Note, introductory texts might help you structure your research and point to key issues appropriate for a research topic.
If you are after a book which the University of Melbourne does not hold, or if there is a book in the collection that is already on loan, or missing, utilise the CAVAL reciprocal borrowing program which allows staff and students to borrow in person from participating universities and institutions.
Simply take your current university ID card, or bring photo ID and be able to log into the staff or student portal of your home institution to register.
Alternatively, if there is a journal article or book you have found in your research that the library does not have access to, you can place an Inter-Library Loan request.