Saturday, November 7, 2009

New Resource for Moot Court Teams

Supporting our Competition Teams … if you are the member of any of SCOL’s competitions, check out the new book, The 12 Secrets of Persuasive Argument. It’s a short, pithy book…easy reading. Pick it up when you think your presentation is ready and see if you can pick up a few additional tips…(K2251 .W35 2009)

Thursday, November 5, 2009

'NOT' Operator Added to HeinOnline's Field Search

News about a new feature from Hein Online, by Tim Hooge.

For those HeinOnline users who prefer to search using the Field Search, we've added a small but powerful option to this search page. The 'NOT' operator is now a selectable option in addition to the AND/OR operators you are used to using. The 'NOT' operator is used in a search the same way that you would use the AND/OR operators. Simply select the NOT option from the drop box. The NOT operator is different because it functions as an exclusionary tool. This can be quite useful in weeding out search results that are very similar to the topic you are looking for, but are actually irrelevant to your search and just diluting the results that you really want. A simple example of how this works is explained in the short video below.

Again, this is just a simple example of how the NOT operator can function. When used correctly, the NOT operator can be a highly effective tool in narrowing your research to the relevant results you need. The NOT operator has always been available for users searching with the Advanced Search. If you'd like to learn more about searching in HeinOnline, we recommend taking a look at some of the training guides in the HeinOnline Wiki.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Legal Abbreviations

Having trouble deciphering a legal abbreviation in a cite & source assignment? Try Prince's Bieber Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations: A Reference Guide for Attorneys, Legal Secretaries, Paralegals, and Law Students, 6th Edition, Level 3 Reference Desk KF246.B46

Locate meanings for acronyms, abbreviations, and symbols found in reporters, treatises, law reviews, loose-leaf services, legal encyclopedias, law dictionaries, legal reference books, and other documents in forward and reverse order.

Prince's update includes new and/or expanded abbreviations for domestic, foreign, and international agencies, organizations, periodicals, reporters, popular acts, and legal terms and phrases cited in American legal literature.