LLM Thesis Workshop ›The Choice of a Topic ›Ingrid Bennigsen, Janny Jonkers Ingrid Bennigsen, Janny Jonkers, Jose Sikkens, Maarten Goldberg

| 2 Programme ›Starting your research: ›Session 1: ›1. Preparing the choice of a subject ›2. Exercises with library sources ›

| 3 Programme ›In between sessions: ›Continue searching for a topic › Session 2: ›1. How much literature available? ›2. Controversial topic or not? ›3. Research question ›Discuss a possible topic with teachers in the last 30 minutes of this workshop ›

Before we start… | 4

Practical things: ›Go to the following website: › ›Or › | 5

| 6 Thesis Workshop Form

| 7 Thesis Guide

| 8 Select a topic which: ›…does not cover a broad and general field of law ›…does not cover a broad and general idea

| 9 Select a topic which: ›…does not cover a broad and general field of law ›…does not cover a broad and general idea ›Specify your topic

| 10 Technique 1 Brainstorm exercise Exercise 1: Find a broad and general idea -Note down the area of law you are interested in -Note down keywords that come to mind

| 11 PiCarta Dutch Central Catalogue Titles of: Books Journals Periodical articles Catalogue RUG Picarta

| 12 Searching Picarta ›Use: More ›Use: All words ›Use quotation marks ›Use truncation * ›Combine terms ›Example 1: ›“ARMED CONFLICT” ENVIRONMENT* ›

| 13 Searching Picarta ›Example 2: ›STATEHOOD OR SELF-DETERMINATION ›OR RECOGNITION › restrict ›“INTERNATIONAL LAW”

| 14 Picarta ›Exercise 2: ›Compose a search string using your own key words from the brainstorm exercise specify your topic!

| 15 Picarta Saving your results A demonstration

| 16 Picarta Saving your results Search in Picarta and save your own search Results.

| 17 Exercise 3 Specify your topic -Specify by using Textbooks

Textbook exercise ›Use the libguides: ›European or International Law ›First Step: Go to the homepage of the Law Library

›Exercise 3 : ›Note down 3 textbook titles that are relevant to the area of law that you are interested in | 21

| 22 PiCarta Catalogue University of Groningen Titles of: Books Journals Catalogus RUG CATALOGUE Exercise 4

Recapitulation ›Technique 1: From broad to narrow ›- start with a broad idea: brainstorm, key words ›- narrow down by doing specific searches in Picarta ›- narrow down by using textbooks (check Int or Eur law libguide, then find them in the Catalogue) | 23

| 24 Technique 2 Start from a very specific idea -e.g. a news item

| 25 NY Police arrested Mr Strauss-Kahn

Legal question: Diplomatic Immunity ›Did Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the Managing Director of the IMF, accused of sexual assault, have immunity from legal process at the time he was arrested and indicted in New York? | 26

| 27 Lexis Nexis

| 28

| 29

| 30

| 31

Exercise 5 ›Do a search in NexisLexis and note down one news article you find interesting and answer these questions: ›1. Does it express a legal point of view or also a political or economic point of view? ›2. Which area of law does it cover? | 32

| 33 Sign-up for Session 2 ›In between sessions: ›Continue searching for a topic Session 2: ›1. How much literature available? ›2. Controversial topic or not? ›3. Research question ›Discuss a possible topic with teachers in the last 30 minutes of this workshop ›

| 34 Exercise 5 ›Browse through periodicals in the field of law you are interested in to find out about new developments ›Note down some possible topics

| 35 Exercise 7 ›Find out about new developments in your chosen field of law and note down some topics. ›Use : - MPEPIL (international law) or - ESO (european law)

Thank you for your attention: ›See you in session 2 : ›Wednesday 17 October 11 am -1 pm OR ›Friday 19 October 11 am -1 pm | 36