Research Strategies for Seminar Papers

The seminar paper requires original analysis; therefore, a researcher must identify the existing literature on the topic. This is achieved by completing a preemption check, which is accomplished by performing multiple searches using all applicable databases. 

To complete a preemption check use all of the legal databases listed below, as well as searching for books and other materials in the Law Library's collection.

*Note: Interdisciplinary topics require the use of non-legal academic databases for the preemption check. The Law Library and Georgetown's main campus library provide comprehensive access to academic databases. More information is provided below. See also the Law Library's Articles for Legal and Non-Legal Research guide.

Legal Periodicals - Databases

• Legal Periodicals & Books covers journals from 1908 to present.
  • Print: KF8 .I4 (subscription ceased in 2007)
• Legal Trac (covers 1980 to present)
• Legal Resource Index (LRI)
  • Westlaw (covers journals from 1980 to present)
  • Lexis: Browse Sources > Search Sources > Legal Resource Index (covers journals from 1977 to present)
• Current Index to Legal Periodicals (covers articles 3 months after publication)
• HeinOnline's Law Journal Library is the most comprehensive resource for searching journal articles. Where Westlaw and Lexis only include articles published since about 1980, HeinOnline includes complete coverage for all major law journals extending to their first published volumes, some as early as 1719.   
• Lexis provides full-text searching of Secondary Sources available via "Content Type" Tab > "Secondary Sources" and results set limited to Law Reviews & Journals (covers journals from about 1980-present); or you can search within Treatises, Practice Guides, and Jurisprudence. 
• Westlaw's Law Reviews and Journals contains full-text journals (journals from about 1980 to present) and Texts and Treatises collection.
• SSRN Legal Scholarship Network includes papers that have been accepted but not yet published in journals.
• Berkeley Electronic Press (bepress) Legal Repositories

Interdisciplinary topics will require the use of non-legal academic databases for the preemption check.  The databases listed below cover multiple topic areas and include academic journal articles and other types of materials.

• JSTOR is a digital archive of core journals in various fields. It contains the entire runs of these journals, from the first volume up to the volumes published a few years ago.
• Academic Search Premier provides the full text of journal articles from nearly 1,560 academic, social sciences, humanities, general science, education and multi-cultural journals.
• ProQuest Research Library includes more than 3,700 titles -- over 2,500 in full text. It features a diversified mix of scholarly journals, trade publications, magazines, and newspapers.
• Google Scholar includes papers, theses, books, abstracts, and articles from academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories, universities, and other scholarly organizations. For on campus users, results automatically contain links to full-text articles. If off campus, click on Settings and then on Library Links. Type "Georgetown" in the search box.

There are also databases for specific academic areas, e.g., Economics, History, and Social Sciences. To find databases for a specific topic use Lauinger Library's Research Guides. 

For more information on how to do a preemption check, view CALI's comprehensive tutorial. 

To set up your free CALI account, go to CALI Lessons for Students.

If your paper is on a foreign or international topic, you should also consult the following indices in addition to the ones listed above:

• Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals
  • Print: INTL Ref KF8 .I35
• Legal Journals Index
  • Westlaw
  • Print: INTL Ref KD59 .L43 (Subscription ceased in 1999)