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Training at IALS Library: Autumn term

An introduction to research skills training offered by the IALS Library

Training at IALS Library

Autumn term

All IALS Library academic members are welcome to attend our training sessions. In autumn 2022, we are running a mix of online and face-to-face training sessions.

Anyone who is an IALS Library academic member can take part in the training, regardless of affiliation or level of study. If you have not joined IALS Library yet, you can find out how to register Access for Academic Users page of our website. All of the training listed on this page is free.

Introduction to OSCOLA

What does this session cover?

OSCOLA stands for the Oxford Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities. At this session you will learn the basics of citing your references using OSCOLA. This includes how to:

  • cite UK legislation & cases;
  • cite foreign and international legal materials;
  • cite books, journal articles, websites & online material;
  • cite a source that isn't covered by the OSCOLA rules;
  • avoid plagiarism;
  • write your bibliography;
  • keep your word count down by cross-referencing footnotes.

Who is it for?

All postgraduate law students and academic researchers with a current IALS Library card or SAScard.

Where / when does it take place?

  • 24 October, 15:00-16:00 - in-person
  • 18 November, 15:00-16:00 - webinar Book here
  • 22 November, 15:00-16:00 - in-person Book here
  • 01 December, 15:00-16:00 - webinar Book here

For more help with OSCOLA see our

Westlaw UK and Lexis+ UK Introductions

What do these sessions cover?

Lexis+ UK and Westlaw UK are the key databases you need to master for effective legal research in the UK. We run the following sessions:

  • Introduction to Westlaw UK and Lexis+ UK: cases and legislation (webinar)
  • Introduction to Westlaw UK and Lexis+ UK: journal articles and foreign & international law (webinar)
  • Introduction to Westlaw UK and Lexis+ UK: hands-on session (in-person at IALS Library)

If attending the webinars, we highly recommend booking and attending both of the sessions, as you are very likely to need to locate all of these materials during the course of your study or research. Alternatively, the "hands-on" training sessions combine the two webinars into a single in-person session.

At these introductory sessions you will learn how to:

  • choose your database and log in;
  • find UK legislation and cases;
  • find legal journal articles;
  • find foreign and international law materials;
  • search and browse effectively;
  • download your results.

Who is it for?

All postgraduate law students and academic researchers with a current IALS Library card or SAScard.

Where / when does it take place?

All autumn 2022 sessions have taken place.

Finding Sources of Public International Law

What does this session cover?

This session will prepare you for researching public international law documentation. At this session we will explain how to:

  • use the UN Treaty Collection;
  • access regional and national treaty collections, print and online;
  • use a treaty index;
  • find decisions from the ICJ, ECHR and other international courts using online and print resources;
  • find cases in the International Law Reports series and the ORIL database.

Who is it for?

All postgraduate law students and academic researchers with a current IALS Library card or SAScard. 

Where / when does it take place?

All autumn 2022 sessions have taken place.

Finding Legal Journal Articles for your Essay, Dissertation or Thesis

What does this session cover?

In this introductory session you will learn how to use legal databases to find legal journal articles. The session will help you to:

  • find the full-text of an article if you only have a citation;
  • identify the most relevant databases for your research topic;
  • efficiently search databases for relevant journal articles;
  • get the most out of the e-resources available at IALS Library.

Who is it for?

All postgraduate law students and academic researchers with a current IALS Library card or SAScard. 

Where / when does it take place?

All autumn 2022 sessions have taken place.

For more help with Finding legal journal articles, see our finding legal journal articles tutorials