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Legal Research Limits
The Reference Question of the Week blog "shares common questions and answers handled by an academic librarian."
The question this week is one that almost every researcher faces -- when do I stop? As the questioner puts it, "My concern is about using my time well both now and in the future while trying to be the most effective research I can be."
Not surprisingly, the answer is not a bright-line rule, but rather some suggestions such as:
- Ask your supervisor to help you narrow your focus
- Start writing BEFORE you finish researching. As you start to write you will help clarify your focus more.
- Set your own limits. Make a note of interesting side issues that you come across, but don't follow them unless you have a good reason to do so. Remember that you don't need to find out everything about everything.
- Start with a secondary source to get yourself a basic understanding of the area of law you are dealing with.
Very good ideas!
