Cite-Checking Basics

1. Cite-Checking Basics Amy J. Wright, JD, MLIS University of San Francisco School of Law, Zief Law Library, Spring 2008

2. Using Zief’s Online Catalog • It’s called Ignacio by library staff. • Can be found on library web pages: http://www.usfca.edu/law_library

3. Online Catalog • What You Can Find in Ignacio: • Books; • Titles of Law Reviews and other journals; • Congressional hearing titles; • Titles of statutory compilations.

4. Online Catalog • Can’t Find • Law review article titles; • Book chapter titles; • Statute sections; • Case names (unless the case name is part of a book or hearing title).

5. Online Catalog Tips • Use a keyword search to find books and journal titles when you aren’t sure of the exact title. • Use “AND” to connect search terms in a keyword search. • Example: nowak and constitutional and law • Example: witkin* and criminal

6. Other Search Options Available • Search by Title or Author & Title; • Search by Library of Congress Subject Heading; • Search by Call Number.

7. Wild Card • Use the “*” symbol to truncate words to find all word variations: • Example: employ* findsemployee, employment, employer, and employing

8. Deciphering Records: Zief Record

9. Deciphering Records: Gleeson Record

10. Finding Articles • Two options for article source pulls: • Print law review/journal volumes (lower level of Zief); • HeinOnline, a database of PDF images of law review & journal articles. • Exactly the same as looking at the print version b/c HeinOnline contains digital images of print journal pages. • IP Address sensitive: if you’re on campus logged into the campus network, access is immediate without password

11. HeinOnline Tips: http://heinonline.org

12. HeinOnline Tips

13. Find: Hastings Law Journal

14. Historic Coverage

15. Accessing Articles

16. Need HeinOnline Help? • Ask a librarian at the reference desk; or • Read our “Cheat Sheet” on HeinOnline. • http://www.usfca.edu/law_library/holcheat.html

17. PDFs on Westlaw • Westlaw offers PDF images for: • Some cases within West’s National Reporter system; • Briefs, pleadings, and other court documents. • Can’t print a PDF image to the Westlaw printer!

18. PDFs on Westlaw

19. Finding Government Documents • Use Google Advanced Search: • Example: You’re looking for Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on concierge care in PDF format • Google Search = gao concierge care filetype:pdf

20. Advanced Search

21. Advanced Search

22. USA.gov • Find federal, state and local government documents all in one search engine.

23. Home Page

24. Search Results

25. Advanced Search Available!

26. Deciphering Citations • Authors often don’t proof citations carefully! • Look out for title errors, incorrect abbreviations, incorrect publishing dates, or incomplete cites.

27. Deciphering Citations: Bieber’s • Latest edition 2001 available in open reserve on main floor of Zief (librarians keep own copy at ref desk). • When you encounter mystery abbreviation like this: C.S.A.A. …..look it up in Bieber’s. • Tells you that C.S.A.A. = Civil Service Arbitration Awards

28. What If It’s Not @ Zief? • Try to find it in another library in the area using Worldcat.org. • http://worldcat.org • Lets you search the collections of thousands of libraries around the world. • Tells you which libraries in your geographic area have the material that you need.

29. Home Page

30. Worldcat.org

31. Worldcat.org

32. Interlibrary Loan • Zief staff can borrow books or order photocopies of book excerpts or journal articles from other libraries. • Helpful if journal members have already checked worldcat.org to see other area libraries where item is available.

33. ILL Rules • Who to ask at Zief: any reference librarian or Troy Cook, our ILL specialist. • dtcook@usfca.edu • 422-5120 • Troy’s workspace is behind the checkout desk at Zief.

34. ILL Rules • We won’t order something if it’s available at Gleeson or Zief. • We will order if it’s missing from USF collections.

35. ILL Rules • Develop a system to avoid filing duplicate ILL requests at Zief. • See suggested Source Pull Form in handouts. • If you can’t find the item at Zief, check with your article editor to see if someone else on your team has already pulled the item.

36. ILL Rules • When filing ILL requests for a cite-check, consider listing just one editor as the person responsible for each ILL request. • Easier for Zief staff to keep track of loans if they are all made in the name of one individual.

37. ILL Rules • OK to ask only for selected pages from a large publication – usually faster! • Renewals for ILL loan items are at discretion of lending library – if they tell us no, we have to send it back by the original due date.

38. Librarian Assistance • Come see us when you’re stuck! • Two of us are former law review members (Jill and Amy), and Lee and John have decades of citation-deciphering experience. • If you give us a copy of the whole article, easier for us to help you.

39. Librarian Assistance • Microform collection is tricky – come and see us if you need to pull an item from microfiche.