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.
Sourcing Tertiary and Secondary Materials
Legal encyclopaedia include a topic outline, relevant legislation, significant case law, and journal articles.
Legal encyclopaedia and dictionaries are the first step in understanding an issue, or if there is not definition in an Act, Interpretation Acts, or in case law.
Legal encyclopaedia can be browsed or searched using Advanced Search (recommended).
Australian Encyclopaedia
- Halsbury's Laws of Australia
- The Laws of Australia
- The Oxford Companion to the High Court of Australia - in the print collection - Law Library Level 3, 347.94035 OXF
International Encyclopaedia
Legal dictionaries include definitions from legislation and case law.
Australian Dictionaries
- Australian Law Dictionary
- Australian Legal Words and Phrases
- Encyclopaedic Australian Legal Dictionary
Specialist Dictionaries
- A Dictionary of Forensic Science
- A Dictionary of Law Enforcement
- Encyclopaedic Dictionary of International Law
- Guide to Latin in International Law
- The Law Lexicon, or, Dictionary of Jurisprudence (for Latin words)
- Oxford Dictionary of Law
- Stroud's Judicial Dictionary of Words and Phrases in the print reference area - Law Library Level 3, R340.03 STR
Articles from the different publishers can only be accessed from their database.
You will have to repeat your search for articles on a topic in each database.
Australian Articles
Source articles from:
- Library Search
- results include articles from Informit, ProQuest
- Lexis Advance
- Westlaw AU
- AustLII
International Articles
Source articles from:
- Library Search
- results include articles from HeinOnline,Kluwer Law, Oxford Legal Research, ProQuest
- Thomson Reuters Westlaw
- Westlaw UK
- WorldLII
You need to know which database to search to find an article.
Otherwise, it's like trying to find Wonder Woman in a Marvel comic.
Sourcing Articles:
- Step 1: Translate the abbreviation of the journal title into full using Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations
- Step 2: Search for the full title of the journal using Library Search
- Step 3: Source the journal on the correct database (eg HeinOnline, Informit, Lexis Advance, WestlawAU) or Library shelves (eg Law Quarterly Review)
View these step-by-step instructions for sourcing articles by citation using Library Search and Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations:
You need to know which database to search to find an article.
Otherwise, it's like trying to find Wonder Woman in a Marvel comic.
Sourcing Articles:
- Step 1: Translate the abbreviation of the journal title into full using Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations
- Step 2: Search for the full title of the journal using Library Search
- Step 3: Source the journal on the correct database (e.g. Lexis Advance or WestlawAU) using the Journals search template or Advanced Search in a database, or from the Library shelves (e.g. Law Quarterly Review)
View these step-by-step instructions for sourcing articles by title using specific databases:
Library Search
Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations:
Cannot find what you want?
If Murdoch Library does not have the article you are seeking, you can:
- visit other University Libraries in person and copy articles
- request an article be scanned and sent to you from another library
- search the ArticleReach catalogue
Academic staff, postgraduate and honours students and staff with supervisor permission can request articles not available via ArticleReach:
- submit a Document Delivery Request
Articles sourced from HeinOnline, Lexis Advance and Westlaw AU are all peer reviewed.
Search for journal titles in UlrichsWeb to confirm that a journal's publishing policy is to have articles reviewed prior to publishing.
Library Search does not search CCH, Lexis Advance, WestlawAU.
| Library Search | Google Scholar |
|---|---|
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Step 1: Search by topic or title using Library Search |
Step 1: Search by topic or title using Google Scholar |
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Step 2: Refine search results by Content Type: Journal Article located to the left of screen |
Step 2: Search for journal title in UlrichsWeb Note: not the article title |
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Step 3: Refine search results by Scholarly & Peer-Reviewed |
Step 3: Confirm that journal has black icon of books |
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Step 4: If unclear, read the journal's publishing policy. |
See how to Source scholarly and peer reviewed articles using Library Search
View these step-by-step instructions for checking if a journal peer reviews its articles:
| UlrichsWeb Library Search: |
General search instructions
In each database:
- select Journals Advanced Search
- search by Act title or number
- select Journals referring to this Act
View these step-by-step instructions for sourcing Acts considered in journal articles using specific databases:
| AustLII: |
CCH IntelliConnect: |
| Informit: |
LawCite: |
| Lexis Advance: |
Westlaw AU: |
General search instructions
In each database:
- select Journals Advanced Search
- search by case name or citation
- select Journals referring to this case
View these step-by-step instructions for sourcing cases considered in journal articles using specific databases:
| AustLII: |
CCH IntelliConnect: |
| Informit: |
LawCite: |
| Lexis Advance: |
Westlaw AU: |
General search instructions
In each database:
- select Journals Advanced Search
- search by the article's title or citation
View these step-by-step instructions for sourcing an article considered in journal articles using specific databases:
| AustLII: |
CCH IntelliConnect: |
| Informit: |
HeinOnline: |
| Kluwer Law Online: |
Lexis Advance: |
| Thomson Reuters Westlaw: |
Westlaw AU: |
| Google Scholar: |
Case law and journal citations are made up of the abbreviation for the case report series or journal.
To find the unabbreviated case report series or journal title you can look at a number of different sources:
Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations
All that JAS: Journal Abbreviation Sources
CaseBase - access CaseBase Abbreviations (by Publication) from the help menu
Firstpoint Table of Abbreviations
La Trobe University Legal Abbreviations Database
Legal commentaries and updating services provide guidance in applying the law on a particular subject area.
Written by subject specialists, practitioners and academics, commentary services provide an explanation of laws using a mix of commentary, legislation (full text or extracts) and key cases.
Many commentary services include in-depth, practical insights, together with extensive illustrative material, enabling an appreciation of both the technical and procedural aspects of the law.
Examples:
LexisNexis AU Practical Guidance resources contain precedents for use in:
- Sales practices
- Regulatory framework
- Contracting
- Consumer credit
- Advertising, promotions and marketing
- Misleading and deceptive conduct
- E-Commerce
- Warranties and consumer guarantees
General search for definition or meaning across all materials:
(character* OR compris* OR defin* OR describ* OR discuss* OR element* OR expla* OR interpret* OR mean* OR phras*) /15 SearchTerm
Tip: Filter or refine results list by document type (act, case, article, dictionary, encyclopaedia), jurisdiction, etc
Examples
(character* OR compris* OR defin* OR describ* OR discuss* OR element* OR expla* OR interpret* OR mean* OR phras*) /15 slaver*
(character* OR compris* OR defin* OR describ* OR discuss* OR element* OR expla* OR interpret* OR mean* OR phras*) /15 "vicarious liability"
Australian Encyclopedia of Forms & Precedents contains non-litigious precedents and forms for areas such as property, commercial and corporations law
Civil Procedure WA includes the Supreme Court Forms, District Court Forms
LexisNexis AU Practical Guidance resources contain precedents for use in:
- Sales practices
- Regulatory framework
- Contracting
- Consumer credit
- Advertising, promotions and marketing
- Misleading and deceptive conduct
- E-Commerce
- Warranties and consumer guarantees
| Commonwealth Government Media Releases | Western Australian Government Media Statements |
|---|---|
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Step 1: Access ParlInfo Advanced Search |
Step 1: Access Media Statement website |
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Step 2: Add search terms |
Step 2: Browse recent Statements or |
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Step 3: Scroll down Parliamentary Collections to Media |
Step 3: Select Advanced Search |
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Step 4: Check Press Releases |
Step 4: Add search terms and filters |
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Step 5: Search |
Option: |
Media Releases
Search string for Internet Browser (Google / Bing / Duck Duck Go):
(media or press or publicity) (statement or release) search word
General search instructions:
- select a region
- select a date range
- include blogs and online sources
- ProQuest - main Australian newspapers, focus is on American and European publications
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See how to Source newspaper articles from ProQuest
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- Library Catalogue
Search by keyword, title, author, subject or call number - Library Search
Find books, ebooks, journals and newspaper articles - High Demand Collection
located by the Library Entrance in Level 3
loan period - 2 hours
HD includes unit textbooks and essential reading material - How to borrow from the Library
- Ebooks
Our guide to accessing ebooks
Cannot find what you want?
If Murdoch Library does not have the book you are seeking, you can:
- visit other University Libraries in person and borrow items
- request an item be sent to Murdoch from another library
- search the BONUS+ catalogue
- Suggest a purchase
General search instructions:
- use Library Search
- refine results by:
- Book / eBook
- Full Text Online
How long can I borrow an ebook?
Add Murdoch University as a library when you access Google Scholar and a link to our material will appear. To do this, you will need to set your Google Scholar preferences:
- Go to Google Scholar and select Settings
- Select Library Links and search for Murdoch
- Check the box for Murdoch University - Library Search@Murdoch
- Click Save Preferences
When you click a Library Search@Murdoch link in your Google Scholar search results, you will be prompted to log in using your Murdoch MAIS username and password