Learning to match legal research tools and resources to
particular problem types is an art, but there are some general rules that can
help. Legal research tools can be divided between
primary and secondary sources (combined
resources are omitted for the sake of simplification) as well as by print and
electronic media. Searches can further be divided up by problem type. The
resulting divisions (at least with respect to the first two problem types--known
item and subject) can be mapped on a three dimensional model as shown below.
As a general rule, the best place to start a known item
search (e.g., a California case in which the court found that a fetus
could not be a human being in a murder trial) is with primary, electronic
sources (the area shaded in blue). On the other hand, for subject searches (e.g.,
understanding digital licensing agreements), you are better off with secondary,
print sources.
There are many research tools and resources which fall into
the other octants(i.e., three-dimensional quadrants). To view an
interactive quiz, illustrating how resources and techniques from the octants
are best utilized, click
here.
Resources and techniques from other octants are often best used in later
stages of the