NOTICE: This guide is currently under review, with a new guide to be launched before Semester 1, 2025. In the meantime, please direct any queries or feedback about this guide to the Library's Digital Experience via our Enquiry and Feedback form.
Study & Research
Research Strategy Template
- Research Strategy Template Copy this Legal Research Strategy and Assignment Plan
Use the Research Strategy Template to organise your legal research.
1. Read a legal encyclopaedia, or journal article, to identify search terms
2. Find synonyms for the search terms
3. Create search strings for searching databases - use Boolean connectors
4. Record all resources, including quotations and their page numbers
TIP: Ensure your reference complies with the Australian Guide to Legal Citation rules when you first access the resource - don't leave your referencing until the last minute.
Use the AGLC Referencing Style Guide for easy citation.
Assignment Help
The Library's Assignment Help Guide will assist with organising your assignment.
RMIT's Assignment Planner keeps you on track with milestones and timelines.
Task list generators such as To-do, or Trello are useful for group assignments.
Research
Use the interactive resources on the Academic Skills Unit on LMS to improve your academic reading, critical thinking, research, writing and presentation skills.
Use learning tools, such as Quizlet, to organise your course work and notes in preparation for your research.
For guidance on how to develop a good search strategy and technique see:
- Bruce Bott and Ruth Talbot-Stokes, Nemes and Coss' Effective Legal Research
- Jay Sanderson and Kim Kelly, A Practical Guide to Legal Research
- Search the Library Catalogue for the subject heading "Legal research -- Australia".
test
IRAC method for analysis of legal problems:
Issue(s)
Rule(s)
Application
Conclusion
Legal Problem Solving Guide
Step 1: Parties
* plaintiff
* defendant
Step 2: Particulars
* the injury/harm/loss
* the alleged wrong doings
Step 3: Cause of Action (COA)
Steps 4 & 5: Elements of COA
* define COA
* identify elements of the COA
* cite relevant authorities
Step 6: Apply the law to the facts
* define/explain each element
* argue whether the legal rule/principle is satisfied by the facts in the scenario using relevant authorities
* every legal principle must be supported with the relevant/best authority (case law or a section of legislation)
* for contentious elements, outline both sides of the argument (e.g. the strengths and weakness of the party’s case)
* use case law as authority OR use case law for analogy
Steps 7 & 8: Consider Defences and Remedies
* identify defences and remedies arising on the facts
* apply the law to the facts for the relevant defences & remedies
Tip:
* use the language of the legislation
example: s 5B of the Civil Liability Act 2002 (WA) uses the term ‘not insignificant’; use this term, don’t change it to ‘significant’
Boolean Operators must be ALL CAPITAL LETTERS.
Universal Operators |
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AND |
2 or more words anywhere in document |
case AND law the word case as well as the word law anywhere in the document |
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OR |
1 or more words anywhere in document |
case OR law either the word case or the word law anywhere in the document |
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" " |
phrase search |
"case law" the words case law next to each other in that order |
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( ) |
group words together |
(case OR law) AND evidence either the word case or the word law anywhere in the document, as well as the word evidence |
Order of priority : ( ), OR, PROXIMITY, AND more detail
Searches are processed by brackets first, then from left to right - so place most important terms first.
| AustLII | CCH IntelliConnect |
Factiva | HeinOnline | Informit | Jade | Kluwer | Lexis Advance |
Oxford Legal Research |
ProQuest | Thomson Reuters Westlaw |
Westlaw AU | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Proximity 1st word within n words of 2nd word case /5 law case within 5 words of law, |
W/5 |
W/5 |
NEAR5 |
/5 |
%5 |
/5 |
NEAR5 |
/5 |
- |
NEAR/5 |
/5 |
/5 |
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Truncator Word variations law* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
! |
* |
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Identify search words |
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Sample search string to source the meaning of slavery:
(character! OR defin! OR describ! OR expla! OR interpret! OR mean!) /25 slave!
See how to Source Shareable/Permanent Links/URL from:
- CCH IntelliConnect
- HeinOnline
- Informit
- Lexis Advance
- WestlawAU
Use the URL at the top of the screen for free databases and websites, such as AustLII, Federal Register of Legislation, WA Parliament.
Subscription databases require a permalink, without a session ID.
Go to Google Scholar.
Click on the 3 lines in the top left of screen.
Select Settings.
Select Library links from the Settings menu.
Type 'Murdoch' into the search box and click Find Library.
Tick the box next to .
Save your new settings.
Now when you search for articles in Google Scholar, you will see a link to Murdoch to the right in the Results list if the articles are in our collection.
This will make it easier for you to determine the title of the journal the articles or studies are published in.
You can then search Ulrichsweb to check if it is a peer-review journal.
Install EndNote and AGLC Referencing Style
To use AGLC with EndNote you will need to download and save 2 small files from the Install AGLC Referencing Style to EndNote link below:
- Legal Reference Types e.g. Reported Cases, Legislation, Parliamentary Debates, Treaties, Books, Journal Articles etc
- AGLC4 (UTS) style: this allows you to correctly format references and use them with Word
EndNote for Law Tips
Note: EndNote has a number of issues with AGLC.
Make a Plain Text Copy as a final step and manually edit the Word document into Headings or Sections.
See the EndNote Tips page for more information on EndNote v AGLC.
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Step 1: Select Word Count Tool from the status bar in the bottom left of your document. You can count words, lines, paragraphs, and pages. |
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Step 2: Uncheck the box to NOT include footnotes and reference list |
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