Study Guides: Secondary Sources in Law : Home

Welcome

If you are a law student looking for secondary sources, this guide is for you.

In legal research, secondary sources are materials that analyse, discuss, critique and comment on the law. They provide valuable insights and analysis of legal principle or issues, and highlight areas of contention or debate.
Explore this guide to learn how to find, evaluate and reference different types of secondary sources.

Key resources for secondary materials

Legal Encyclopedias

Halsbury's Laws of Australia (Lexis Advance Pacific) A legal encyclopaedia providing a comprehensive overview of Australian law.
The Laws of Australia (Westlaw AU) A complete library of legal principles covering over 330 topics and every Australian jurisdiction.

Legal Dictionaries

Encyclopaedic Australian Legal Dictionary (Lexis Advance Pacific) Legal terms and definitions are presented in an Australian context and are supported by both Australian legislative and judicial authority.
Australian Law Dictionary Uses clear and concise language and explores the terms encountered in everyday practice, focusing on core legal knowledge and practice areas.

Legal Databases

HeinOnline Large, international legal research database. For journal articles, choose the 'Law Journal Library'.
AGIS Plus Text (Informit) A small 'boutique' database with Australian, New Zealand and Pacific content. It searches records, not full text, so you need to be more strategic with your search terms.
AustLII Free access to all Australian legislation. Find an Act, and then for each provision use the 'NoteUp' feature to find related cases and articles.

Resource types

Books

Useful for providing an overview of a topic or issue. Contains background information and context and is very useful as a starting point for research - especially if you are new to a topic!

Journal Articles

Contains the latest research on very specific topics and often contains in-depth analysis. Journal articles are published more quickly than books so can be used to find more up to date information.

Grey Literature

This includes government or non-government organisation (NGO) reports, guidelines and statistics. They often contain an overview of an issue as it applies to a specific region, state, country or worldwide.

Secondary Sources in Law : Home