Law

Journals are regular scholarly publications which contain articles on specific subjects.  They are important in academic research for a number of reasons:

• they are the main forum by which research is published
• they can explore a narrow topic in depth
• they contain current or recent research findings
• they are often peer-reviewed so that research findings are checked by other subject experts.

The advantage of using databases (rather than Google or Google Scholar) when researching is that you can be assured that the information you retrieve is from a reliable source.

The search box on the library website searches across a large number of databases in one search; however, there are some databases (Westlaw) that are not included in the library website.

Use the library website to search across multiple databases, but if you would like specific information (such as cases) you should go to the relevant database (via the Databases page ).

Use the Library's Publication Finder to see which journals are available. When using the Publication Finder, search for the title of the journal (not the article title). The Publication Finder will:

• confirm if the library has a subscription to the journal
• the coverage date, including any embargoes
• provide links to the databases/websites where you can get full-text access.

The majority of journals are now accessed online, but there are some available in the law library. Print law reports, journals and encyclopedias follow on from the textbooks and are reference only. They are arranged in alphabetical order of title.

If you need help locating a particular article or journal, email your Subject Librar who will check for access.