26 Introduction to Secondary Sources
Kate Thompson and Melanie Lovich
Learning Outcomes
After reading this chapter you will be able to:
- identify different types of secondary sources needed for successful legal research;
- understand the authoritative hierarchy of secondary sources;
- understand the benefits and limitations of secondary sources;
- know how to find secondary sources for legal research.
Secondary sources are a useful starting point when researching an unfamiliar area of law or legal concept. They broadly fall into two groups: commentary on the law and finding aids.[1] This chapter will focus on the former. Secondary sources provide background information, context, topic and concept overviews, expert analysis and references to key primary sources. Although secondary sources are not authoritative versions of the law, they are beneficial for developing your understanding of legal concepts. Examples of secondary sources include:
- legal dictionaries and encyclopaedias;
- books;
- online commentaries (loose-leaf services);
- journal articles;
- government documents and law reform;
- newspaper articles, reports and some material found on websites, blogs and so forth.
Evaluating Secondary Sources
You are expected to use high-quality, reputable and scholarly information sources throughout your university law study. Consequently, it is important to critically evaluate secondary sources, especially web-based sources, to determine whether the information is credible and suitable for academic use. Currency, authority and jurisdiction are of particular relevance for law resources. As a general rule, published sources, such as books and journal articles, are the most reliable authority as they are written by experts from the judiciary, academia or the profession and have been peer-reviewed.
