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How do you Research the Problem?

Apparently, when it comes to matters of legal research, we should be mindful of which or what type of information we may be cited in legal issues. In this case, I have acquired a little bit more ideas on how one can gather reliable sources for legal issues. In the last Unit discussion, I used library databases and the Britannica encyclopedia to research Probation and Policing.

Nevertheless, comparing those ideas to what I have searched on the same topic under Westlaw, is a great experience to share. First and foremost, the information I gathered from the Library database analysis and Britannica Encyclopedia about Probation does not differ from what I have got as a solution on the same topic by using the Westlaw.

However, I did experience a bit of a difference in locating or finding the information about Probation under the sources of the Library database and Britannica Encyclopedia. In Westlaw, I found it easier to locate information about Probation, but the answers and features are almost the same as the ones from the Library and Britannica.

In addition, the results from the two databases, Westlaw and Fastcase about Probation, are similar to the results found from the Library database and Britannica. However, the issue that I experienced as a difference between the parties is the way of citations. The citations from the Library database are more APA format citations, whereas, in Westlaw and Fastcase citations are more standard and based on facts of the matter. Furthermore, finding information on Westlaw and Fastcase is easier and less time to use than that on the Library database or Britannica.

Moreover, based on the Text and other related materials which we have learned so far, I believe that a database is an organized collection of structured information, or data, typically stored electronically in a computer system. A database is usually controlled by a database management system (DBMS).

In gathering information for legal issues, one may be relaid on the position of the case or matters at hand. When doing legal research, normally, there are two sources one may look for: one is primary sources, and the other is secondary sources. Depending on the grass root of the matter, one may be able to determine which information can be overruled. In addition, locating the information you need for a particular matter can be organized in a court order form. That means if the case is being handled by the plaintiff or defendant law, he/she may organize those sources in a form of a court order.

Lastly, sources such as the National Archives (n.d) and the Justia (n.d) are additional sources that are also reliable to use in legal research.

References:

Putman, W.H. & Albright, J. (2018).Legal research, analysis, and writing(4th Ed.). Cengage Learning.