Introduction

This tutorial, consisting of five modules, is an introduction to the materials and processes you will require for researching Australian law. It is important to understand and learn these skills because:

Legal research is crucial to the learning and practice of law
The law is changing constantly
You need to ensure your information is current

Although we will be concentrating on the law emanating from the Commonwealth and New South Wales jurisdictions, the research steps you learn can be adapted for researching law from the other states and territories.

We will demonstrate how to use some of the databases available from the University of Wollongong Library web page (Opens in a new window). For example:

LAWLEX - to access Australian legislation and Hansard 2nd reading speeches
LexisNexis AU - to access case law
Legal Online - to access case law
AGIS Plus Text - to access journal articles on Australian cases, legislation and legal issues

To reinforce your learning and develop your skills you will be asked to carry out a range of activities (access to databases and passwords only available to UOW staff and students). The Quizzes tab will take you to eLearning Space where you can complete a quiz for each module -- if required as part of your assessment.

At the end of the modules you will be able to:

Undertake research to access Australian legislation, case law, and Hansard 2nd reading speeches
Undertake research to access journal articles

Why should I plan?

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