This guide is meant to offer quickie links to some of the more common subciting materials, with a focus on US primary laws. This is not an exhaustive list, and you may want to contact your journal liaison or the Reference Desk for additional help.
You can also contact your library Journal Liaison.
When going through an article, start by sorting out what should be easy to find from that which will be more challenging and time consuming. For example, most US law review articles are available on HeinOnline. Law review articles are relatively fast and simple.
In contrast, books can often be at other Harvard libraries, ordered from the Harvard Depository, or at another university through Borrow Direct. Some materials may need to be borrowed through Interlibrary Loan (ILL), which can take several weeks.
Check out the library policy for services to journals.
Check out additional journal information for students.
The Library has five, do-it-yourself scanning stations. One is located in the Microforms Room on the 2nd floor, three are located near the Reference Room, and one is located at the north end of the Reading Room. The stations have been configured for easy use, and straightforward instructions are attached to each of their control kiosks. The Ricoh mutifunction machines located throughout the library can also scan. Scanning is absolutely free!
Subciting often involves finding materials in their "original" form - for materials online, this means finding .pdf versions of materials as they would otherwise appear in an official print source. One of the best resources for getting sources as they appear in print is HeinOnline.
Throughout this guide are links to HeinOnline for sources including:
NOTE: Latest print edition for the U.S. Code is 2012. Sections must be updated using the Supplements (and relevant Code section)
Note: Updating in print editions varies. Update sections with pocket parts of the code to ensure currency
Note: Ask a librarian for help. Superseded state statutes can be tricky.
NOTE: If you have problems getting the PDF to open in Westlaw, switch browsers, i.e., from IE to Firefox. If that doesn’t work, try holding down the 'Ctrl' button while clicking on the PDF icon.
NOTE: In Hollis, check for item location and availability. Some books may be held at the Harvard Depository, while others may be at other libraries, e.g., Widener or Lamont.
Law Reviews (Heinonline)
TIP: If the pinpoint cite is wrong in the footnote of the draft article, you may want to search for quotes, etc. in Westlaw or Lexis, and then obtain the PDF copy at Hein.
Sometimes older volumes may still only exist in print; if you are not finding something electronically, try searching in http://hollis.harvard.edu/.
Non-Law Journals
If the article is not listed in HOLLIS, try finding the journal title in HOLLIS.
If you do not find the journal in Hollis, try Borrow Direct or ILL
If the paper is not yet published, try SSRN.
Finding newspapers can be tricky. Some journal editors still want the original print format, but HLS only has a few and most are only kept for a few months. Most databases archive just the text - not the page image.
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, 20th ed.
Copies of The Bluebook are available on Reserve and in Reference [KF 245.B58]
Compiled by the Law Review editors of Columbia, Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale, this guide is the most heavily relied upon citation manual for law. It prescribes citation formats for most U.S. law sources.
Table One lists each jurisdiction's reporters, codes, and other primary sources, providing their citation formats and dates of coverage. For those citing foreign law in U.S. law reviews, The Bluebook is not comprehensive.
If The Bluebook does not address a source you wish to cite, use custom and, if possible, parallel citations. When filing legal documents with a court, court rules of citation will apply. Consult court rules to determine whether or not Bluebook format is appropriate.
Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations
From Cardiff University, this site provides the full title from the abbreviations for legal publications. It covers case reporters and legal periodicals from the British Isles, the Commonwealth, and the United States, including those covering international and comparative law.
For detailed information on citation guides for both domestic and foreign legal and non-legal sources, please see Legal Citation Guide and Abbreviations.
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