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
Canada:
– Texts, CLE, CCH, looseleafs
US:
– Texts, Restatements,
Uniform Codes
UK & Australia
– Texts
online
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
Canada:
CED
US:
• Am.Jur, Corpus Juris
Sec
• ALR
UK & Australia:
• Halsbury’s Laws of
England & Australia
online
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
Indexes:
• Index to Canadian
legal literature
Full-text:
• Extensive collection
at UBC law library
online
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
Canada:
– Abridgment
US:
– West key number
digest system
UK & Australia:
– The Digest
– The Australian
Digest
online
Canada:
– Abridgment (WLeC)
US:
– Westlaw
– Search advisor on
Lexis
UK & Australia:

Primary Sources – Statutes
Print
• 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to 18 months out of date)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
online
• 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up to 18 months out of date)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
Finding the text of
cases:
• Different law
reports
online
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
• Canadian Case
Citations
• Statutes Judicially
Considered
• The Digest
annotations (UK,
Australia)
• Sheppard’s (not
available at UBC library)
online
• 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.