Skip to Main Content

Westlaw Campus Research Guide

Learn how to use the database Westlaw Campus Research

Secondary Sources

Secondary Sources include the following legal resources:

  • Legal encyclopedias
  • Treatises
  • Legal periodicals
  • Law reviews

These resources

  • Provide interpretations and well-reasoned statements of the law; 
  • Can be used as persuasive authority.
  • Are good starting points when you are unfamiliar with particular topics or practice areas; and
  • Reference important case law and statutory authority in addition to journal and law review citations.

Secondary Sources Content Page

Click on the Secondary Sources content page link from the Westlaw Campus Research home page. This content page can be searched by typing in your terms and connectors in the search field at the top of the page. You can also select to search by Type, State, or Topic from the links below the search box. 

Under Related Content, you have access to the entire Secondary Sources Index as well as Black's Law Dictionary

 

secondary source content page

Searching by Keyword and Publication Type

To search for secondary sources by keyword searching from the Westlaw home page, using natural language or Boolean searching:

  1. Type your search phrase into the search box at the top of the page. 
  2. Click Search. This will search all core legal content and then select Secondary Sources from the filters option on the left hand side. 
  3. Narrow down your results as needed using filters (publication type (Journals, Law Reviews, etc.) date, jurisdiction, etc.) on the left panel. 

search results screen for a search of secondary resources with the search terms "civil rights"

To search for forms within Westlaw Campus Research, click on the  Secondary Sources Content Page link from the Westlaw home page. Select Texts & Treatises. Type your search using Boolean operators or Terms & Connectors in the search box at the top of the page. User the filters on the left panel to narrow down by Form Type. This section is located after the Publication Name section towards the bottom of the filters list. 

Results can be narrowed down by jurisdiction and date as well. 

search results screen for a Texts & Treatises search of complaint