cite-checking basics

Cite-Checking Basics

Amy J. Wright, JD, MLISUniversity of San Francisco School of Law, Zief Law Library, Spring 2008

Using Zief’s Online Catalog

It’s called Ignacio by library staff.

Can be found on library web pages: http://www.usfca.edu/law_library

Online Catalog

What You Can Find in Ignacio: Books;

Titles of Law Reviews and other journals;

Congressional hearing titles;

Titles of statutory compilations.

Online Catalog

Can’t Find Law review article titles;

Book chapter titles;

Statute sections;

Case names (unless the case name is part of a book or hearing title).

Online Catalog Tips

Use a keyword search to find books and journal titles when you aren’t sure of the exact title.

Use “AND” to connect search terms in a keyword search. Example: nowak and constitutional and

law

Example: witkin* and criminal

Other Search Options Available

Search by Title or Author & Title;

Search by Library of Congress Subject Heading;

Search by Call Number.

Wild Card

Use the “*” symbol to truncate words to find all word variations:

Example: employ* findsemployee, employment, employer, and employing

Deciphering Records: Zief Record

Deciphering Records: Gleeson Record

Finding Articles

Two options for article source pulls: Print law review/journal volumes (lower

level of Zief);

HeinOnline, a database of PDF images of law review & journal articles.

Exactly the same as looking at the print version b/c HeinOnline contains digital images of print journal pages.

IP Address sensitive: if you’re on campus logged into the campus network, access is immediate without password

HeinOnline Tips: http://heinonline.org

HeinOnline Tips

Find: Hastings Law Journal

Historic Coverage

Accessing Articles

Need HeinOnline Help?

Ask a librarian at the reference desk; or

Read our “Cheat Sheet” on HeinOnline. http://www.usfca.edu/law_library/holcheat.html

PDFs on Westlaw

Westlaw offers PDF images for:

Some cases within West’s National Reporter system;

Briefs, pleadings, and other court documents.

Can’t print a PDF image to the Westlaw printer!

PDFs on Westlaw

Finding Government Documents

Use Google Advanced Search:

Example: You’re looking for Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on concierge care in PDF format

Google Search = gao concierge care filetype:pdf

Advanced Search

Advanced Search

USA.gov

Find federal, state and local government documents all in one search engine.

Home Page

Search Results

Advanced Search Available!

Deciphering Citations

Authors often don’t proof citations carefully!

Look out for title errors, incorrect abbreviations, incorrect publishing dates, or incomplete cites.

Deciphering Citations: Bieber’s

Latest edition 2001 available in open reserve on main floor of Zief (librarians keep own copy at ref desk).

When you encounter mystery abbreviation like this: C.S.A.A.

…..look it up in Bieber’s.

Tells you that C.S.A.A. = Civil Service Arbitration Awards

What If It’s Not @ Zief?

Try to find it in another library in the area using Worldcat.org.

http://worldcat.org Lets you search the collections of

thousands of libraries around the world.

Tells you which libraries in your geographic area have the material that you need.

Home Page

Worldcat.org

Worldcat.org

Interlibrary Loan

Zief staff can borrow books or order photocopies of book excerpts or journal articles from other libraries.

Helpful if journal members have already checked worldcat.org to see other area libraries where item is available.

ILL Rules

Who to ask at Zief: any reference librarian or Troy Cook, our ILL specialist. dtcook@usfca.edu 422-5120 Troy’s workspace is behind the

checkout desk at Zief.

ILL Rules

We won’t order something if it’s available at Gleeson or Zief.

We will order if it’s missing from USF collections.

ILL Rules

Develop a system to avoid filing duplicate ILL requests at Zief.

See suggested Source Pull Form in handouts.

If you can’t find the item at Zief, check with your article editor to see if someone else on your team has already pulled the item.

ILL Rules

When filing ILL requests for a cite-check, consider listing just one editor as the person responsible for each ILL request.

Easier for Zief staff to keep track of loans if they are all made in the name of one individual.

ILL Rules

OK to ask only for selected pages from a large publication – usually faster!

Renewals for ILL loan items are at discretion of lending library – if they tell us no, we have to send it back by the original due date.

Librarian Assistance

Come see us when you’re stuck!

Two of us are former law review members (Jill and Amy), and Lee and John have decades of citation-deciphering experience.

If you give us a copy of the whole article, easier for us to help you.

Librarian Assistance

Microform collection is tricky – come and see us if you need to pull an item from microfiche.