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Global Affairs, International Relations and Politics

Online Legal Research

Westlaw is a comprehensive online legal research platform developed by Thomson Reuters. While primarily designed for legal professionals, it also serves as a valuable resource for students of international relations, politics, and global affairs due to its large collection of international legal resources and powerful research capabilities.

Contents of Westlaw Relevant to International Relations, Politics, and Global Affairs:

  • International Case Law: Coverage of decisions from European courts and tribunals, including the European Court of Human Rights, and other regional and specialised courts. This allows you to explore how international law is applied and interpreted in real-world cases.
  • International Treaties and Agreements: A comprehensive collection of European treaties, conventions, and agreements, providing you with access to the primary sources of international law that govern relations between states and international organisations.
  • Legal Journals and Commentary: A wide range of legal journals, textbooks, and commentaries from leading international law experts, providing in-depth analysis and interpretation of international legal issues, such as human rights, international trade, environmental law, and conflict resolution.
  • News and Current Awareness: Stay informed about the latest developments in international law, global politics, and international relations through Westlaw's news and current awareness features.

Why International Relations, Politics, and Global Affairs Students Need Westlaw:

  • Essential for Research: Westlaw is a primary tool for researching international law, allowing you to find relevant case law, treaties, legislation, and commentary quickly and efficiently. This is crucial for assignments, research papers, dissertations, and thesis preparation.
  • Developing Research Skills: Learning to use Westlaw effectively equips you with valuable research skills that are transferable to your future careers in international relations, politics, diplomacy, or international law.
  • Understanding International Law: Westlaw's extensive resources help you gain a deep understanding of international law principles, concepts, and applications, essential for analysing global issues and formulating informed opinions.
  • Staying Informed: Westlaw's current awareness features help you stay abreast of the latest developments in international law and global politics, ensuring your knowledge remains current and relevant.
  • Career Preparation: Familiarity with Westlaw prepares you for a wide range of careers in international relations, politics, and global affairs, where legal research and analysis are often required.

These videos will give you an introduction to using Westlaw for legal research. Watch these videos and then try Westlaw for yourself!

Lexis is a comprehensive online legal research platform developed by LexisNexis. While primarily designed for legal professionals, it also serves as a valuable resource for students of international relations, politics, and global affairs due to its extensive collection of international legal resources and powerful research capabilities.

Contents of Lexis Relevant to International Relations, Politics, and Global Affairs:

  • International Case Law: Extensive coverage of decisions from international courts and tribunals, including the International Court of Justice, the European Court of Human Rights, and other regional and specialised courts. This allows you to explore how international law is applied and interpreted in real-world cases.
  • International Treaties and Agreements: A comprehensive collection of international treaties, conventions, and agreements, providing you with access to the primary sources of international law that govern relations between states and international organisations.
  • Legislation from Multiple Jurisdictions: Access to legislation from various countries, allowing you to compare and contrast legal frameworks and understand how international law is implemented domestically.
  • Legal Journals and Commentary: A wide array of legal journals, textbooks, and commentaries from leading international law experts, providing in-depth analysis and interpretation of international legal issues, such as human rights, international trade, environmental law, and conflict resolution.
  • News and Legal Updates: Stay informed about the latest developments in international law, global politics, and international relations through Lexis's news and current awareness features.

Why International Relations, Politics, and Global Affairs Students Need Lexis:

  • Essential for Research: Lexis is a fundamental tool for researching international law, allowing you to find relevant case law, treaties, legislation, and commentary quickly and efficiently. This is crucial for assignments, research papers, dissertations, and thesis preparation.
  • Developing Research Skills: Mastering Lexis equips you with valuable research skills that are transferable to your future careers in international relations, politics, diplomacy, or international law.
  • Understanding International Law: Lexis's extensive resources help you gain a deep understanding of international law principles, concepts, and applications, essential for analysing global issues and formulating informed opinions.
  • Staying Informed: Lexis's current awareness features help you stay abreast of the latest developments in international law and global politics, ensuring your knowledge remains current and relevant.
  • Career Preparation: Familiarity with Lexis prepares you for a wide range of careers in international relations, politics, and global affairs, where legal research and analysis are often required.

This video will give you an introduction to using LexisLibrary for legal research. Watch the video and then try Lexis for yourself!

HeinOnline is a comprehensive online database specialising in legal and scholarly materials. While renowned for its extensive coverage of US law, it also offers a treasure trove of resources for students of international relations, politics, and global affairs, including an unparalleled collection of international legal journals exceeding the scope of Westlaw or Lexis.

Contents of HeinOnline Relevant to International Relations, Politics, and Global Affairs:

  • Law Journal Library: A vast collection of over 3,000 law and law-related periodicals from around the world, with many full runs available, making it an invaluable resource for comparative legal research and accessing international legal scholarship.
  • International Law Collection: A comprehensive collection of international legal materials, including treaties, conventions, international court decisions, and scholarly articles on topics such as human rights, international trade, environmental law, and conflict resolution.
  • Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS): A collection of declassified diplomatic documents from the U.S. Department of State, providing valuable insights into U.S. foreign policy and international relations.
  • History of International Law: A collection dating back to 1690 on the history of international law subjects such as War & Peace, the Nuremberg Trials, Law of the Sea, International Arbitration, Hague Conferences and Conventions, and much more.
  • Slavery in America and the World: Essential legal materials on slavery in the United States and the English-speaking world. Includes statutes passed by every colony and state, as well as federal statutes, and all related state and federal cases.
  • Other Collections: HeinOnline also offers collections on various disciplines relevant to international relations and politics, such as political science, history, and economics, providing a multidisciplinary perspective on global issues.

Why International Relations, Politics, and Global Affairs Students Need HeinOnline:

  • Unmatched Access to International Legal Scholarship: HeinOnline's Law Journal Library is unparalleled in its breadth and depth of coverage, allowing you to explore diverse perspectives on international law and policy from around the world.
  • Comparative Legal Research: The extensive collection of international legal journals enables you to compare and contrast legal systems, approaches, and interpretations from different countries and regions, deepening your understanding of international law and its complexities.
  • Historical Context: HeinOnline's collection of historical legal documents provides invaluable context for understanding the evolution of international law, institutions, and political relationships over time.
  • Interdisciplinary Research: By accessing resources from various disciplines, you can gain a holistic understanding of the complex issues that shape international relations and global affairs, such as the interplay of law, politics, economics, and culture.
  • Research Skill Development: Learning to navigate HeinOnline's collections and use its advanced search features can significantly enhance your research skills, preparing you for future academic and professional endeavors.

This video will give you an introduction to using HeinOnline for legal research. Watch these videos and then try HeinOnline for yourself!

These databases are powerful tools for researching the law and related political issues, and mastering their features is essential for success in your studies and future career. To help you become proficient in using these resources, the library offers comprehensive guidance and support:

  1. Workshops and Training Sessions:

    • Legal Research Workshops: The Library offers workshops on both Westlaw and Lexis individually, and also a workshop on legal research in general, which will cover all four legal databases briefly.

  2. Guides and Tutorials:

    • User Guides:
      • Westlaw provides a wide range of user guides, designed to introduce you to the different sections and content within Westlaw. These include step-by-step tutorials, videos, search tips, and answers to frequently asked questions.
      • Lexis' help pages are very comprehensive, containing guidance on performing searches in Lexis, and also includes a video tutorial section.
      • HeinOnline has a simple but helpful user guide available - just ignore the section on "Logging In", always make sure you access HeinOnline via the Library's website to gain access.
    • YouTube: There are a huge number of guidance videos available on YouTube, just search for "search Westlaw/Lexis/HeinOnline etc UK".
      • You may want to start with the sites's own YouTube channels, which contain full playlists of videos on various aspects of each database: Westlaw, Lexis, and HeinOnline.

  3. One-on-One Support:

    • Consult with Your Librarian: Your Academic Librarian, Caroline Ball, is well-versed in legal research and can provide assistance. Book an appointment to discuss your specific research needs.

  4. Practice and Experiment:

    • Hands-on Experience: The best way to master online legal research is through practice. Use these databases regularly for your assignments and research projects to familiarise yourself with their content, features and capabilities.
    • Explore Advanced Features: Don't limit yourself to basic searches. Experiment with advanced search operators, filters, and citators to refine your results and uncover relevant information.