refugee and asylum law research 2010

RESEARCHING REFUGEE AND ASYLUM LAW

Margaret Clark, Reference LibrarianFSU College of Law Research CenterFebruary 2010

Refugee & Asylum Law Research

Step 1: Choosing a topic Step 2: Pre-emption check Step 3: Background research Step 4: Primary Materials

Step 1: Choosing a Topic Specialized current awareness

Step 1: Choosing a Topic Specialized current awareness

BNA U.S. Law Week

Step 1: Choosing a Topic Specialized current awareness

Sign up for BNA Email

Step 1: Choosing a Topic Specialized current awareness

Step 1: Choosing a Topic Blogs

Online publication tools for posting commentary, news, opinions and debating issues

Step 2: Pre-Emption Check

Determine that nobody else has published on same thesis as yours

Use step-by-step handout Consult cutting-edge resources

Step 2: Pre-Emption CheckScholarly papers

Social Science Research Network (SSRN)

Refugee and Asylum law

Research is challenging!

Field is interdisciplinary Research is found primarily in

reports and working papers Need for current information

Research guides Books and treatises Journal articles Reports / Country Reports News sources

Step 3: Background ResearchSecondary Sources

Step 3: Background ResearchResearch Guides

Use research guides that organize the primary and secondary sources

By Elisa Mason Guide to Forced Migration Resources on the Web Guide to International Refugee Law on the Web

By others Asylum Case Research Guide (Georgetown)

Refugee Protection Research Guide (Georgetown)

Step 3: Background ResearchTreatises Texts

AILA’s Asylum Primer, 3rd ed. The Refugee under International Law Rights of Refugees under International Law

Loose-leafs Immigration Law and Procedure, Lexis Immigration Law Service, West

Step 3: Background ResearchTreatises

FSU Online Catalog WorldCat IndexMaster Digital Libraries Westlaw & Lexis

TOOLS FOR LOCATING TREATISES

Step 3: Background ResearchTreatises - Tools for locating

Digital Libraries

Step 3: Background ResearchTreatises - Tools for locating

Step 3: Background ResearchTreatises - Tools for locating

Step 3: Background ResearchArticles and Law Reviews

LOCATE ARTICLES, after 1980 WESTLAW and LEXIS Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals Index to Legal Periodicals (ILP) Public Affairs International Service

Step 3: Background ResearchArticles and Law Reviews

ARTICLES before 1980 Index Legal Periodicals - Retrospective Hein Online JSTOR

Step 3: Background ResearchReports

Step 3: Background ResearchReports

Step 3: Background ResearchReports

Step 3: Background ResearchCountry Reports

STEP 4: Primary Materials

Treaties and conventions Domestic legislation Case law

FINDING TEXT OF TREATIES

Refugee Treaties – • RefWorld Legal Collection• U Minn Human Rights Library

Status of Refugee Treaties• U.N. Treaty Collection• Ratification – Reservations - Declarations

STEP 4: Primary MaterialsTreaties and conventions

REFLEG – UNHCR Foreign Law Guide Westlaw or LexisNexis

STEP 4: Primary MaterialsDomestic Legislation

Refugee Cases

Final Words Give yourself plenty of time. Review published research guides or

review Pathfinder. Develop a research strategy and keep a

journal of what you’ve searched and where.

Lots on the Web but NOT EVERYTHING. ILL process may take a week or more Please ASK for help from Librarians!

Questions?