Source Collection Information for Research Assistants

A manual to assist a Faculty Research Assistant in collecting citations.

Contents

Key to Icons

  • Georgetown only
  • On Westlaw
  • On Lexis
  • On Bloomberg
  • PDF
  • More Info (hover)
  • Preeminent Treatise
  • Study Aid

Before You Start Your Search ...

What Format Do You Need?

Can you make do with an HTML or transcribed text of the article? Or do you need the article appearing as if printed (separated and numbered pages) but in a PDF format?

Print Equivalent (or "PDF") Options

The following databases and publishers provide print equivalent of many or all articles in PDF: •HeinOnline •Academic Search Premier •JSTOR •Proquest •EBSCOhost •Web of Science •Project Muse •Oxford •Cambridge •Springer.

Transcribed Texts

Some databases, like Westlaw and Lexis, may provide the transcribed text of the print version of the article, but with ‘star’ pagination. Though the article's content may not be visually divided into pages, with the star pagination information you can use these transcribed versions in the same manner as a copy of a formally "printed" article. An ILL article for the printed article version is unnecessary.

Web-only, Dot Com Works

Some publishers now publish content only through their website without print equivalents (hard copy version or PDFs of print). For these instances, you will have to cite the HTML version. There will be no ILL option to obtain a printed version that does not exist.

Printed Version, Online Licenses & ILL

Read Non-Georgetown Licensed Online Subscriptions & ILL in the Interlibrary Loan Instructions for Research Assistants guide.

Dealing With Broken URLs to Web Articles?

Is the citation’s URL no longer live or does not display expected content?

Try the URL in Internet Archives’ Wayback Machine.

Want to save a cited web site/url?

  • Perma.cc: Caches the contents of a cited web page, creates a permanent link and provides access to the cached and current version of the web page for your present and future law review readers.
  • Wayback Machine’s Save Page Now: Creates a permanent Internet Archive URL and caches the webpage.

Missing or Poor Citation Information?

Unsure What Kind of Citation You Have?

Ask for assistance from Reference Services to help you interpret a difficult citation, identify missing citation information, find the source for a given quotation, etc.

Need More Help?

Ask for assistance from Reference Services.