Online vs print legal research tools: Convincing the Google generation to step foot in the library Annie Rochette, Assistant Professor Director, Legal Research and Writing Program UBC Faculty of Law

Overview Comparison of print and online tools Looking up secondary sources Locating primary sources Noting up Advantages of each from a teaching perspective Challenges in teaching the google generation Strategies to address those challenges Conclusions?

Locating secondary sources Texts & looseleafs Encyclopedias Journal articles & periodicals Digests

Texts Print online Canada: US: UK & Australia Canada: US: Texts, CLE, CCH, loose-leafs US: Texts, Restatements, Uniform Codes UK & Australia Texts Canada: Canada law book (on QL), CCH US: Good selection of texts on given topics ( e.g. corporate,securities, tax, internet, etc.) (Lexis & WL) Restatements & Uniform Codes (Weslaw & Lexis) UK & Australia 

Encyclopedias Print online Canada: CED US: Am.Jur, Corpus Juris Sec ALR UK & Australia: Halsbury’s Laws of England & Australia Canada: CED: Cd-Rom & WLeC US: Am.Jur. 2nd (Lexis & WL) ALR (Lexis & WL) Corpus Juris Sec. (Lexis & WL) UK & Australia: Halsbury’s monthly and weekly updates (Lexis)

Journals Print online Indexes: Index to Canadian legal literature Full-text: Extensive collection at UBC law library Indexes: Index to Canadian legal literature (QL) Legal Trac Index to foreign periodicals Full-text searching: QL  WestLaweCarswell  Lexis  WL  UBC e-journals 

Digests Print online Canada: US: UK & Australia: Canada: US: Abridgment US: West key number digest system UK & Australia: The Digest The Australian Digest Canada: Abridgment (WLeC) US: Westlaw Search advisor on Lexis UK & Australia: 

Primary Sources – Statutes Print online Revised Statutes of B.C.- consolidated (up to 18 months out of date) Consolidated BC Regs Revised Statutes of Canada – no official print consolidation! No official Federal regs in print Queen's Printer(free, up to 18 months out of date) Justice Canada (free) QP LegalEze (subscription,current) BC Statute Service (subscription) QL (current) WLeC (current)

Primary Sources – Cases Print online Finding the text of cases: Different law reports Finding the text of cases: Directories: UBC Law library Canlii (Canada) Findlaw (US) Austlii (Australia, NZ) Bailii (UK) Court websites: SCC, BCCA, BCSC QL, WLeC, WL, Lexis

Noting Up Print online Keycite Canada (CCC and CSJC on WLeC) Canadian Case Citations Statutes Judicially Considered The Digest annotations (UK, Australia) Sheppard’s (not available at UBC library) Keycite Canada (CCC and CSJC on WLeC) Quickcite (QL) Sheppard’s (US -Lexis) Keycite (US-WL)

Advantages of online tools Some online tools enable the user to move from secondary to primary back to secondary sources seamlessly; Noting up: reminder on the page (indicators) about noting up and quicker since access to the cases with a single click; Accessibility; BUT…

Advantages of print tools Research strategy Limits of many online tools based on boolean searching “Buffoon” search Understanding the conceptualization and lay out of the online tools such as encyclopedias, digests, … Comparison between tools from different jurisdictions Understanding the legislative process Costs $$ of online tools after law school

Challenges Overcoming the google approach to legal research Information overload: recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of each online and print research tool in order to maximize the use of each Consequence of the case method in teaching: thinking about applicable statutes Free access to commercial databases while in law school Time and space issues (LRW in 1st year is 1.5 hours/week from September to March)

Strategies to address the challenges Using reverse psychology: WebCT Legal Research and Writing website & Legal Research Process website Online version of legal research handbook Legal Research Journal: getting students to reflect on their research strategy Legal Research Record software – Focus on print sources in class; cover commercial databases outside of class

Conclusions Students should realize (and internalize) the costs of commercial databases after they graduate. We should ask them to report on the time spent on these databases in research log or give them limited time on them; Have law librarians come to talk to individual small groups in 1st year to talk about the costs; Print sources are still invaluable tools and we should keep teaching students on how to use them.