Westlaw International Certification Outline
Welcome Page Westlaw International covers several thousands of databases, covering legislation, case law, legal journals, but also news or business information from around the world. You can access this information in 3 ways: by using a relevant tab (dedicated search screen), by using the Search for a Database option, by using the directory. If you have an exact citation of a document you can also use the Find feature.
Tabs Because of the enormous amount of information from different sources, Westlaw International does not have a single search box to search across the complete collection. To help you start your search on a particular topic or within a specific jurisdiction you can use different dedicated search screens, represented in different tabs. Each tab will give you access to the most relevant sources and tools to help a researcher to start searching within a specific set of content. Each user with a password can select which tabs they want to use by selecting the Add a tab link. This will first show you which tabs you have selected, but by clicking on Add Westlaw tabs you can choose between all available tabs. You can permanently select tabs by checking the box or you can choose to use it for the duration of one session by clicking on the link. If you access Westlaw International by IP-authentication you will not be able to permanently select a tab. Add a tab This session is going to cover the following tabs: World Journals, Law School, Westlaw Australia and Westlaw International. Select the option from the right and select the tabs below: World Journals WLI Academic Law School Westlaw Australia Westlaw International International Arbitration
World Journals tab Once you have selected a tab you will notice it is displayed in two parts: on the left some research tools to assist you in your search and on the right your main search box as well as a list of databases. Specific for the World Journals tab is that you can choose to search in collections of legal journals or in individual titles (eg. European Competition Law Review, Harvard Human Rights Journal). The 3 most important databases to search in a collection are: Combined World Journals World Journals and Law Reviews (WORLD-JLR): almost 2000 titles from around the world US Law Reviews Combined (LAWREV-PRO): almost 1000 titles published in the US Legal Journals Index (LJI): abstract database covering UK and EU titles You can find out more about the contents of a database by clicking on the Scope link (sometimes displayed as an i). Click on the scope link for US Law Reviews Combined – All full text journals published in the US. Shows all journals it includes In Westlaw you have two ways of searching: Terms and Connectors and Natural Language. Terms and Connectors: also known as Boolean searching. This way of searching allows you to type in the words you are looking for and define in which relation they should appear in the results. Example: human rights and prison (will look for all documents with the word human or the word rights and prison) “Human rights” and prison (will look for all documents with human and rights next to each other and the word prison) Select Combined World Journals option Results will be over 10,000 results. Refine search using the edit search! Edit to: “Human rights”/3 prison! (will look for all documents with human and rights and the word prison in the same sentence. Will also look for words with multiple endings to prison –i.e. prisoner) This way you can set up a very specific search combining different search terms. When you set up a Terms & Connectors search you will retrieve ALL results with the words in the combination you asked for, sorted in reverse chronological order.
Results will be 838 doucments. Narrow down the results by Locating within results TI (“INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT”) – Remember to put it in quotation marks otherwise it will automatically assuming an “or” between the words. Results retrieved will be 3 Select 1st para and show the copy with reference option Natural Language The second way of searching is called Natural Language and works very different. When you use Natural Language you can enter a phrase, question or list of words in plain English. Westlaw will now display the 100 most relevant documents, sorted by relevance. Can you trademark a smell? Select the Combined Law Reviews database Search for a database If you know the content you are looking for (eg. a specific journal) you can simply type the name into the Search for a database box which appears on the left side of the screen. This can be the title of a publication, but it will also work if you are looking for a general subject. Example: Yale Law Review It also gives you journals by subject areas. Example: Medical journals – this will retrieve all medical journals. Law School tab Finding US Cases Example: Find By Party Name Yellow Flag -
Ritter Meijer
research warning Means some negative discussion Click on the yellow flag takes you to full history of case ( see negative treatment)
Within Full history of Ritter Meijer Red flag
Means reversed
H
Means positive history
C
Means Citing refs
2 stars **
Means cases discussed
3 stars *** Results Plus: books and wider reading. Also links to AMJUR which gives commentary. Click into 1 result and the results plus will change accordingly Finding US Legislation Example: Statutes > USCA (United States Code Annotated) Top right hand corner > Table of Contents> Organic Laws of US - Declaration of Independence > Title 3: The President >Chapter 2 office and compensation of president > 102 compensation of the president - $400,000 Statutes Index – Act of God Secondary sources Example: Black Law dictionary (Dictionary of US Law).Type in Adultery and check definition AMJUR - Like Halsburys laws, every area of Law. Gives facts, refs to cases and Statutes Click AMJUR > Top Right link to Table of contents> Browse to: Annulment of Marriage > Defences > Antenuptial Knowledge of Ground for Annulment > Section 43. Existence of undissolved prior marriage Links to other encyclopaedia and other cases and legislation Westlaw Australia The Westlaw Australia tab has been designed by Australian practitioners and includes common Australian materials. Search options for all Westlaw International sources include terms and connectors or natural language. Example Select the check box for: Australian Cases> Natural Language Search: Dingo attack Go to the second result for Chamberlain v The Queen The left hand menu links to helpful analysis information for the case. Key cite is the same as we saw for the US case.
You have options to save your document on Westlaw > other > print delivery manager. Onsite map under tools Westlaw International Tab Question: Search the Maine Law Review for Clermont & Palmer “Exorbitant Jurisdiction” (2006) 58 Maine Law Review 474 Example Searching by publication ‐ search the Westlaw Directory: Maine Law Review This returns sources for the Maine Law Review. To find out what is contained in each source Select the “I” icon for further information. When you click into the blue link for an individual source you will be taken into the Advanced Search screen to search within that source. Can also search by citation or look up citations. Example: JPIL or FSR Terms and Connectors searching Field Restrictions ‐ there is a large search box for terms and connectors searching, which acts like free text. To refine search criteria you can use field restrictions. Field restrictions on Westlaw International are similar to using a specific search box on Westlaw UK. For example, to search for author instead of searching an author search box, you will search the AU field. You would then type the author name within brackets, for example to search for the author Clermont type AU (Clermont). This acts like the author search box on Westlaw UK. Example: To search the Maine Law Review for Clermont & Palmer “Exorbitant Jurisdiction” (2006) 58 Maine Law Review 474 Below is how you would create a terms and connectors search. AU (Clermont and Palmer) & TI ("Exorbitant jurisdiction") & CI (2006 58 474) Add in your connectors, making sure you include “AND” between every word
Browse the directory The Westlaw directory is a list of all the different databases and content available on Westlaw International. You can access the directory by using the link at the top of the screen or by using the Westlaw International tab.
You can either use the search box at the top of the screen to search across the directory or browse through the directory. You can approach this in 3 ways: by region (eg. EU, US), by topic (eg. Intellectual Property), by type of information (eg. journal or news). Example: All Westlaw Databases > Harvard Law Review
Example: to get an overview of all books on Westlaw International Select Treatises, CLE’s and Other Practice Materials > Select Handbook of Intellectual Property Claims & Remedies (HIPCR) > Show table of content (right side)
Research Trail To get an overview of your research history. For academic users this is only available for the current session so users have to download or email the trail to save their searches. If users access Westlaw by password all research sessions are saved for duration of 14 days.
Helpdesk Numbers On www.westlawinternational.com you will find email addresses and toll free telephone numbers to contact our customer support team, which is available 24/24 and 7/7.