Question:
How do I search for a cited journal article?
Our answer:
It is easier to find a cited article if you know which journal the citation refers to. A typical legal citation looks like this:
Uglow, S. "Criminal records under the Police Act 1997" [1998] Crim. L.R. 235
The citation provides the following information:
- The name of the author (Uglow, S.).
- The title of the article. This is usually given "in quotes" as in this example, but is sometimes given in italics.
- An abbreviated form of the journal title (Crim. L.R.).
- The year in which the article was published (1998).
- The page number within the journal where the article was published (235). A page number is not always given.
The title of the journal is given in an abbreviated format. The Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations is an excellent tool for finding the full journal title of an abbreviation. Once you have the full journal title, you can start your search.
Searching for a known journal title
The Publications Search allows you to search for journal titles (and law reports), find out which database they are in, and the years available.
To search the Publications Search simply enter the journal title and click the magnifying glass to search. From the results select the database which contains the journal.