LAW - Starting Points - Beginning Your Canadian Legal Research
Research Process
It is highly recommended that you begin your legal research by looking at materials that describe or explain the law. These materials will explain legal principles, and identify legal terms and keywords you could use in your further research. You are likely to find citations to related cases and statutes in the footnotes as well. These materials include encyclopedias, books, and articles.
- Library Search BoxSearch many of our databases and collections as well as from traditional bibliographic sources (journal articles, dissertations, newspapers, etc.). It does not search legal databases.
Legal Encyclopedias
Encyclopedia provide a brief discussion of a wide range of legal topics, with many footnotes referencing cases and some statutes. There are two Canadian legal encyclopedias: the Canadian Encyclopedic Digest and Halsbury’s Laws of Canada.
- Canadian Encyclopedic DigestElectronic access available through WestlawNext Canada. Available in print in the Reference area at KE 173 .C54.
Books
Books provide a deeper discussion of the legal topics than encyclopedias. Most legal books discussion a broad area of law, such as criminal law or employment law. Scholarly books often focus on a narrower topic and provide a deeper analysis of the legal issues.
Use the library search box to find print or electronic books in our collection. Note the call number and the location (e.g., Law-1st floor) of each print book. You will need to sign-on to access electronic books.
- Library Search BoxSearch many of our databases and collections as well as from traditional bibliographic sources (journal articles, dissertations, newspapers, etc.). It does not search legal databases.
Certain legal texts are published in binders for easy updating. These are called looseleaf sets. Looseleaf sets published by Carswell and Canada Law Book are available electronically on:
- Westlaw Canada This link opens in a new window
Selected looseleaf sets published by LexisNexis or Butterworths are available electronically on:
- Lexis Advance Quicklaw This link opens in a new window
Articles
Journal articles provide in-depth information on narrow legal topics and, often, more current information than books provide. There are several ways of search for legal articles. The library search box and Google Scholar can both be used to find some articles. We subscribe to several databases that contain the full-text of law review articles from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and other countries
See our research guide for links to open access and database sources for legal articles.
- Finding Law Journal ArticlesThis guide is intended to help students and researchers in law by leading to information sources that will assist in finding articles.
There are also general full text sources that may provide legal articles.
Some sources may be restricted to University of Calgary users or to Faculty of Law users.
- Library Search BoxSearch many of our databases and collections as well as from traditional bibliographic sources (journal articles, dissertations, newspapers, etc.). It does not search legal databases.
- Google Scholar This link opens in a new windowTo set up Google Scholar to detect UofC subscribed resources, refer to Google Scholar setup (in the Natural Sciences Programme LibGuide)
Main legal article databases
- Westlaw Canada This link opens in a new window
- HeinOnline This link opens in a new window
- Lexis+ Canada This link opens in a new window
- Available to Faculty of Law students only
- Password access only