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Scholarly Research

This guide contains information on researching common source types, using the library catalog, requesting interlibrary services, and more.

Using this Guide

This quick guide is intended for journal editors looking for help locating and accessing sources. It will walk you through the most efficient way to find some of the most common materials cited in law journals, using OSU and Moritz resources. Follow the step-by-step instructions for each source type to efficiently find what you need, and reach out to a librarian or your journal liaison if you get stuck. The rest of this guide can help you find less common items. 

Tips Before Starting

Set up Google Scholar

Set up Google Scholar so it connects to OSU's library catalog. To integrate your account, go to Google Scholar, click the Menu icon > Settings > Library Links, add "The Ohio State University Libraries - Find It @OSU."

Book or Book Chapter?

First, look for the book at Moritz or OSU
  • OSU Libraries Catalog
  • If the book is at Moritz, grab the book from the shelves, and scan the portions you need. Do not submit “Requests” for books Moritz has.
  • If the book is at another OSU library, “Request” the book, and it will be delivered to Moritz.  Then scan the portions you need. Do not submit chapter scan requests for books OSU has.
If not there, look to OhioLink libraries  
  • If OSU does not have the book, feel free to request a chapter to be scanned.

Law Journal Article?

Start with Google Scholar

Privilege HeinOnline links. This will almost always find you the article. 

If not there, use the Articles search of WorldCat@OSU or Primo
If not there, look up the publication in the catalog. 

The easiest way to do this is to click the “Journal Titles” tab at the top of the catalog, and search for the title.  Look for one that is available online and that covers the date of your article, click on it, then search for your article and access it. 

If not there, submit an Article Express request

Non-Law Journal Article?

Start with Google Scholar

This sometimes will not work, or may lead you to a paywall version of an article. If so, go to the next step.

If not there, use the Articles search of WorldCat@OSU or Primo
If not there, look up the publication in the catalog. 

The easiest way to do this is to click the “Journal Titles” tab at the top of the catalog, and search for the title.  Look for one that is available online and that covers the date of your article, click on it, then search for your article and access it. 

If not there, submit an Article Express request

News or Magazine Article?

Do not start with Google

It will lead you to paywalled versions.

Start with Lexis or Westlaw
If not there, use the Articles search of WorldCat@OSU or Newspaper search in Primo
If not there, look up the publication in the catalog
  • OSU Catalog (click Journal Titles tab)
If OSU doesn’t have the publication, submit an Article Express request

Federal or State Statute?

Do you need print or electronic?

The Bluebook (22nd ed.) prefers but does not require citation to official state or federal codes.  (Rule 12.1).  Check T1 in the Bluebook for the preferred statutory compilation ("code").  Be aware that there is often more than one published version of a jurisdiction's code and that the Bluebook will tell you which version is preferred.

  • Check with your journal to confirm the policy on using official/unofficial and print/online code versions.
  • Official versions: Most states publish their codes in an official bound volume (print) version. Some states publish their codes in an official online version and and made their official statutory codes freely available online (check the Uniform Electronic Legal Material Act (UELMA) to see if your state publishes official codes online, and then LLSDC's List of State Legislatures, State Laws, and State Regulations to find links). Some states have both. The Bluebook (12.5(b), 22nd ed.) allows citation to online official state codes whenever available  (rather than when only available online, as was previously the case).
  • Unofficial versions: These can also come in bound volumes or online versions. 
Citing the date of the code
  • Federal: The Bluebook (22nd ed.) does not require a date on a federal code citation.  You may choose to put the date on a federal code, if desired. 
  • State: The Bluebook requires a date for state code citations.
  • When citing a bound volume of the current official or unofficial code, the Bluebook requires you to access the actual bound volumes in print. This is because the required date for a code section is neither the year the section was enacted, nor the current year in which it is in force, but rather: "the year that appears on the spine of the volume, the year that appears on the title page, or the latest copyright year—in that order of preference." (Bluebook Rule 12.3.2).
  • If you need the date for an online/electronic version of the code, see Bluebook Rule 12.5.
Locating bound volumes of state codes
  • Check with your managing editors - do you really need the bound volume?
  • Check T1 in the Bluebook to confirm the preferred version.
  • Check our catalog to determine whether our library owns the preferred version, and follow the same steps as for books. If the volume is not at Moritz, strongly consider an electronic source (even an unofficial one) as obtaining the correct volume and version from other libraries can be difficult. 

Website?

  • *Now* you can try a Google search, or start from a given URL
  • If you can’t find your URL or you get an error, try putting it into Internet Archive Wayback Machine

FAQs

How do I create a Perma.cc account?

Anyone can create a free Perma.cc account to archive up to ten webpages. Accounts affiliated with the Moritz Law Library can archive an unlimited amount of webpages. If you are a Research Assistant or a Journal Editor, check with your Professor or your Managing Editor to see whether they already have an affiliated Perma.cc account for you to use. To request a Law Library-affiliated account, email Matt Cooper, Assistant Director for Public Services, at cooper.373@osu.edu.

What can I archive on Perma.cc?

Perma.cc suggests creating a Perma link to archive any freely available web content not published in permanent form, such as blog entries, news stories, press releases, and government reports. According to their Terms of Service, you should only archive material that is "freely available on the Internet to the general public without paying, registering with the website, or the like" and "cited in a legal work or in a work of scholarship, reporting, criticism or commentary."

How do I integrate my library account with Google Scholar?

To integrate your account, go to Google Scholar, click the Menu icon > Settings > Library Links, and add "The Ohio State University Libraries - Find It @OSU." 

Once you've added The Ohio State University as your library, your Google Scholar results will include a Find It @OSU link. By clicking the Find It @OSU link, you will be able to immediately access the article if the resource is available through the OSU Libraries Catalog.

What if my source is not on this Quick Guide? 

We've listed the most commonly accessed sources here. Other tabs of this Scholarly Research Guide will address other types of sources. If you're having trouble, please feel free to contact a librarian. You can contact us here or contact your journal liaison (listed below).  

  • OSBLJ – Mary Csarny
  • OSJCL – Jamie Aschenbach
  • OSJDR – Stephanie Ziegler
  • OSLJ – Rebecca Fordon
  • OSTLJ – Matt Cooper