Need to Write a Paper? Look to Our Research Guides

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Many law students go directly to Lexis, or Westlaw when beginning a research project. While these databases may be useful, widening the net in the search for information for your paper or project may be helpful.

When unsure about where to seek a particular type of information, think first of the law library’s Research Guides, which are subject-specific finding aids for locating resources on a topic. There is a direct link to the guides from the law library’s homepage.

The research guides also contain information on databases specific to the topic that may be of use to the researcher. The databases should be thought of in two broad categories: law databases and non-law databases. There is a link to the law databases from the law library’s homepage and the non-law databases (under the link ‘Research Databases’) from the Cleveland State Michael Schwartz (Main) Library’s homepage. The main library’s homepage link can also be found on the law library’s homepage.

The non-law databases contain full-text of articles and documents along with indexes and abstracts that cover a wide range of topics and interests. Some of the databases have many sources, while others might only have one source (e.g. Newspaper Source vs. New York Times).

Consider using other law databases (e.g. HeinOnline) to find information that is beyond the coverage of Lexis, and Westlaw.

Not sure where to start in your research? Law Librarians are available to help during Research Services Hours:

You can also schedule a Research Consultation.

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