Guides: Law: Research process

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Identify phrases and keywords in the question and use them in a search strategy
Consult legal dictionaries or encyclopaedias for clarification
Select the right database for your needs: Te Waharoa or a specialised legal database? New Zealand or international content?
Trial a few searches then review and revise your results
Consult the help information on the database
Record your strategies and results
Critically evaluate the information
Cite your reference in accordance with the New Zealand Law Style Guide

T Buller, C Doughty, M Lovich, T Thomas, & K Thompson Essential Legal Research Skills in Aotearoa New Zealand (University of Auckland, 2025).
This guide to legal research and citation of New Zealand law provides direction to students undertaking legal research. It covers the core skills and knowledge for effective legal research.

The table below shows which databases can be used to used find case law, legislation and commentary.

Database	Case law	Legislation	Commentary
Te Waharoa (library search)	N	N	Y
HeinOnline (subscription)	N	N	Y
Lexis Advance (subscription)	Y	Y	Y
Westlaw New Zealand (subscription)	Y	Y	Y
NZLII NZ Legal Information Institute (free)	Y	Y	Y
New Zealand Legislation (official & free)	N	Y	N
Judicial Decisions Online (free)	Y	N	N
Index New Zealand (free)	N	N	Y