Getting Started
The resources found here can be an excellent way to find information on a wide range of topics, including ones specific to law. Depending on your topic, different databases may prove to have the best resources. The recommended resources, while usually the best, are also the most difficult to use. Make sure to see a librarian if you need help determining which of these resources to search.
Multidisciplinary Resources
Covering a broad range of subjects and topics for numerous disciplines, these resources are a good place to start your research.
- Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new windowScholarly, multidisciplinary database containing more than 6,100 full-text journals, and indexing/abstracts for more than 10,100 journals.
- ArticleFirst This link opens in a new windowIndexes 12,500 journals in science, technology, medicine, social science, business, the humanities, and popular culture. 1990 to the present.
- Google Scholar This link opens in a new windowGoogle Scholar enables you to search specifically for scholarly literature, including peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, preprints, abstracts and technical reports from all broad areas of research.
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowContains almost 1,000 full-text journals spanning multiple disciplines. Some journals go to back to the mid-1800's. There is a gap, typically from 1 to 5 years, between the most recently published journal issues and the issues available in JSTOR.
Search Google Scholar
Recommended Resources
The following are some of the best databases to use when searching for law materials.
- HeinOnline This link opens in a new windowAn ever-expanding database that specializes in offering original PDF copies of full-runs of legal collections. It includes: most major legal periodicals, federal and state statutes, court decisions, attorney general reports and opinions, federal legislative history materials, treaties, foreign & international law material, and numerous specialized legal collections. The text of collections are fully searchable and there are tools to browse or find items by citation.
- Congress.govProvides full-text access to current and recent U.S. Congressional and legislative documents. Includes some historical documents.
- FDsys - Government Publications This link opens in a new windowThe Government Printing Office's Federal Digital System (FDsys) is an advanced digital system that enables GPO to manage Government information from all three branches of the U.S. Government.
- Nexis Uni This link opens in a new windowNexis Uni features more than 15,000 news, business and legal sources from LexisNexis—including U.S. Supreme Court decisions dating back to 1790—with an intuitive interface that offers quick discovery across all content types, personalization features such as Alerts and saved searches and a collaborative workspace with shared folders and annotated documents.
Other Resources
The following databases are not specific to Law materials, but they may include many articles that will prove valuable to you in your research.
- Criminal Justice Collection This link opens in a new windowCriminal Justice Collection provides access to academic journals and magazines on topics in criminal justice and related fields. Key subjects covered in the database include law, law enforcement, security, and terrorism.
- Worldwide Political Science Abstracts This link opens in a new windowIndexes and abstracts journal articles in political science and its complementary fields, including international relations, law, and public administration / policy. Updated monthly.
- PAIS International This link opens in a new windowReferences to journal articles, books, government documents, statistical directories, grey literature, research reports, conference reports, publications of international agencies, microfiche, Internet material, and more. Newspapers and newsletters are not indexed.
- Military & Government Collection This link opens in a new windowDesigned to offer current news pertaining to all branches of the military and government. Full text for nearly 300 journals and periodicals and indexing and abstracts for nearly 400 titles.
- MasterFILE Premier This link opens in a new windowProvides full text for more than 1,730 general periodicals covering a broad range of disciplines including general reference, business, education, health, general science, multi-cultural issues and much more.
- America: History & Life This link opens in a new windowAmerica: History and Life is the definitive index of literature covering the history and culture of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present
- Historical Abstracts This link opens in a new windowBest database for world history. Lists scholarly articles from history journals. Allows you to search by journal name. Each article is summarized. Covers the history of civilization (excluding the United States and Canada) from 1450 to the present.
