How do I Find Articles and Books on an International Law Topic?

*As an ASU law student, you have access to the databases described below. Of course, if you have any questions about these databases, please Ask a Librarian.

Finding Law Articles

Before searching for articles in law journals, ask yourself if you are only interested in articles published in the United States or if you are also interested in articles published in other countries.

Finding Law Articles Published in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand

Westlaw - International Law – Law Reviews, Texts and Bar Journals.  Coverage varies by journal.  

LexisNexis - International Law Review Articles Combined. Coverage varies by journal. 

Westlaw - Legal Resource Index.  This is not a full text database. It is an index of articles in journals from the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, New Zealand, and Australia from 1980 to the present.  There will be a link to the full text of the article if the article is on Westlaw.

HeinOnline Law Journal Library. The coverage of HeinOnline’s law journal library goes back further than LexisNexis or Westlaw, so it is a good source if you are looking for older articles.

LegalTrac. This is an online index of law articles from 1980 to the present. Although it is not full-text, access to the full text of articles is available by using the “Get it at ASU” buttons. 

Index to Legal Periodicals & Books Retrospective. This is an online index of law articles and books from 1908-1981. It will be very helpful for historical research. Although it is not full-text, access to the full text of articles is available by using the “Get it at ASU” buttons.

Finding Law Articles Published in the Journals of Other Countries

Westlaw - Legal Journals Index. This is not a full-text database. It is an index of articles published in European law journals and articles covering topics pertaining to the laws of the European Union and its Member States from 1986 to the present. There will be a link to the full text of the article if the article is on Westlaw.
 
HeinOnline’s International & Non-U.S. Law Journals Library. This full-text database includes international law journals published in the United States and journals published in other countries.
 
Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals. This is an online index of articles relating to public and private international law and comparative law of countries except the U.S., United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. It includes articles published from 1985 to the present. Although it is not full-text, access to the full text of articles is available by using the “Get it at ASU” buttons.  

Finding Articles in Other Disciplines

When you are researching an international law issue, you will frequently need to find articles in disciplines other than law. These disciplines include international relations, economics, criminal law, philosophy, etc. The databases described below may be helpful and, as an ASU student, you have access to them.
 
Worldwide Political Science Abstracts. This is an online index of articles in the fields of political science, international relations, law, and public administration and policy. Users can find articles by searching article titles, authors, descriptors, and abstracts. It includes articles published from 1975 to the present. Although it is not full-text, access to the full text of articles is available by using the “Get it at ASU” buttons.  
 
PAIS (Public Affairs Information Service). This is an online index of articles in the fields of international relations, law, government, and other social science disciplines. Users can find articles by searching article titles, authors, descriptors, and abstracts. It includes articles published from 1972 to the present. Although it is not full-text, access to the full text of articles is available by using the “Get it at ASU” buttons.  
 
CIAO (Columbia International Affairs Online). This is a searchable database of the full text of working papers from university research institutes, occasional papers series from NGOs, foundation-funded research projects, proceedings from conferences, books, journals, and policy briefs. Its coverage is 1991 to the present.
 
EconLit. This is an online index of journal articles, books, dissertations, and working papers on topics such as economic development and international economics. Users can find articles by searching article titles, authors, descriptors, abstracts, and the full text of the article when available. It includes articles published from 1969 to the present. Although it is not full-text, access to the full text of articles is available by using the “Get it at ASU” buttons.  
 
Philosophers Index. This is an online index of books and journals that cover topics such as the philosophy of law. Users can find articles by searching article titles, authors, descriptors, and abstracts. It includes articles published from 1940 to the present. Although it is not full-text, access to the full text of articles is available by using the “Get it at ASU” buttons.  
 
ATLA Religion Database (American Theological Association). This is an online index of articles on topics such as world religions and the religious perspectives on social issues. Users can find articles by searching article titles, authors, descriptors, and abstracts. It includes articles published from 1949 to the present. Although it is not full-text, access to the full text of articles is available by using the “Get it at ASU” buttons.  
 
Criminal Justice Abstracts. This is an online index of articles, books, and reports of government and nongovernmental agencies. Users can find articles by searching article titles, authors, descriptors, and abstracts. It includes articles published from 1968 to the present. Although it is not full-text, access to the full text of articles is available by using the “Get it at ASU” buttons.  
 
Bibliography of Asian Studies. This is an online index of western-language articles and books dealing with Asia. Users can find articles by searching article titles, author, and subject. It includes articles published from 1971 to the present. Although it is not full-text, access to the full text of articles is available by using the “Get it at ASU” buttons.  
 
JSTOR. This is a full-text database of scholarly articles in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences.
 
Cambridge Journals Online. This is a full-text database of numerous scholarly journals published by Cambridge University Press.
 
Oxford Journals. This is a full-text database of numerous scholarly journals published by Oxford University Press.

Google Scholar. Google Scholar searches books and articles in all disciplines. Full text of articles may be accessed using the Get it at ASU links.   

Once you have a citation to a law journal, you can find the journal by using our guide How Do I Find International Law Journals or by using the Journal Title Lookup Page. Keep in mind, though, that the Journal Title Lookup Page does not include Westlaw.

 

Finding Books

 
Use the ASU Libraries Catalog to search for books owned by the law library or one of the other ASU libraries.

If ASU does not have the books you need, you can search for books owned by other libraries by using WorldCat. WorldCat has records of books from hundreds of libraries around the world. If there is a book you would like that is not owned by ASU, you can request that we order it for you by stopping by the law library circulation desk or by using our online Interlibrary Loan Form (students of the College of Law only).

 
  

JOHN J. ROSS - WILLIAM C. BLAKLEY LAW LIBRARY
PO BOX 877806 • 1102 S MCALLISTER AVE • TEMPE, AZ 85287-7806 • 480-965-6144 • FAX: 480-965-4283