LibGuides: Global Indigenous Law Research: Scholarly Articles

Aboriginal and Indigenous Law Research Canada

Find Articles

To do a preemption check to ensure that no one else has written on the topic that you have in mind, you will want to do some thorough research. A logical way to do this is to start with the easiest full-text databases to search across many law journal articles at once. Each of these databases has a different collection of law journals, and sometimes there will be overlap. After running searches in full-text databases, you will want to search some free databases where people publish articles before they are officially published. Then you will want to search the Indexes, these databases cover a wider variety of journals, some of which will be outside of the scope of the full-text databases. Indexes largely provide you with information about the article, and usually have an abstract that will let you know whether or not the article is on your topic. If you want to see the full text of these articles, you may need to place an interlibrary loan if they are not available in the UC Law SF full-text databases.

Some sample searches are provided below. You can use the key words from these searches in other databases.

Full-Text Databases

Westlaw
Comprehensive legal research system for researching primary law (cases, statutes, administrative materials, etc.) and secondary sources (treatises, law reviews, etc.). Free to UC Law SF students, faculty and staff. Registration required.
Canada Journals
Canada Journals Sample Search
advanced: PR((indigenous OR Indian OR "customary law" OR "first nation") AND (Law OR Legal OR Policy OR Government OR rights))
Lexis+
Comprehensive legal research system for researching primary law (cases, statutes, administrative materials, etc.) and secondary sources (treatises, law reviews, etc.). Free to UC Law SF students, faculty and staff. Registration required; contact the library for registration information. Refresh the page if the link does not work.
Canada Law Reviews and Journals
Use the "Select sources to search" feature under the search bar, to limit your search to some but not all of these journals.
Canada Law Reviews and Journals Sample Search
Title( indigenous OR Indian OR "customary law" OR "first nation" AND Law OR Legal OR Policy OR Government OR rights)
UC Law SF Catalog
You can use this resource to search for journals or individual articles in journals, or chapters in books.
UC Law SF Catalog Sample Search Canada Aboriginal/Indigenous Law
Articles Search: Title contains "Canada" AND Title contains "indigenous" OR "Indian" OR "customary law" OR "first nation" AND Title contains "Law" OR "Legal" OR "Policy" OR "Government" OR "rights"
Filter: Book Chapters; Sorted by: Date-newest
A-Z Database List
You can access all of the subscription databases on campus. If you are not on campus, after you click the database link you will be directed to a sign-in page. To use the database off-campus, either enter your UC Law SF email username and password or enter your name (as shown on your UC Law SF ID) and your ID barcode number.
Law Journal Library (HeinOnline)
Contains more than 2,500 law and law-related periodicals. Coverage for all journals is from inception and goes through the most currently published issues allowed based on contracts with publishers. Search by article title, author, subject, state or country published, full text, and narrow by date.
Law Journal Library (HeinOnline) Sample Search
Search: title:(indigenous OR Indian OR "customary law" OR "first nation" ) AND title:(Law OR Legal OR Policy OR Government OR rights)
Filters: Canada; Sorted by: Volume Date (Newest First)

Multidisciplinary Databases

These resources may be useful to ensure that your topic has not been written in a non-law journal, but these databases may also be useful later when you are doing research for your paper, because you may want to use knowledge (including statistics) from other disciplines to support your arguments.

Indigenous Peoples of North America
Covers the political, social, and cultural history of the native peoples of the US & Canada from the 16th to the 20th century. Topics include trade, communication, Arctic exploration, the Iroquois Confederation, Canadian Catholic Indian missions, Indian removal, Indian wars, Indian delegations, Indian-federal relations, Indian treaty policy, missionary schools, the allotment system, Alaskan Indian policies, Indian languages, assimilation, relocation, termination, the Indian Claims Commission, water rights, fishing rights, civil rights, radicalism, and the American Indian movement.
ProQuest Central
The largest aggregated full-text database of journal articles, magazines, newspapers and dissertations for information on a broad range of general reference subjects such as business, political science, art, literature and psychology. Search 24 databases at ProQuest central or choose a subject database. See below for a sample search that you can modify by adding or changing the key words and the filters.
ProQuest Central Sample Search Canada Aboriginal/Indigenous Law
Search: summary(Canada AND (indigenous OR Indian OR "customary law" OR "first nation") AND (Law OR Legal OR Government OR Policy))
Filters: Scholarly Journals; English; Peer Reviewed.
Academic Search Complete
Full text coverage of a wide array of multidisciplinary academic journals. See below for a sample search that you can modify by adding your own key terms.
Academic Search Complete Sample Search Canadian Indigenous Law
Search: AB Canada AND TI ( (Law OR Legal OR Policy OR Government OR rights) ) AND AB ( (indigenous OR Indian OR "customary law" OR "first nation" ); Filters: English; Academic Journals
Cambridge Core
Click "Only Search Content I Have Access To" to access full text multidisciplinary academic journals published by Cambridge University Press. You can also search the full Cambridge Core site for 1000's of Cambridge publications, although only abstracts are available for most Cambridge books and journals. See below for a sample search that you can modify with your own key words.
Cambridge Core Sample Search Canada Indigenous Law
Search: Canada AND (indigenous OR Indian OR "customary law" OR "first nation") AND (Law OR Legal OR Government OR Policy)
Filters: Book Chapters; Articles; Sorted by: Newest first
Oxford Journals Online
Searchable online access to the full range of journals published by Oxford University. Search in individual or mulitple titles, or by subject areas: Humanities, Law, Life Sciences, Mathematics and Physical Science, Medicine and Social Sciences. 1996- current. See below for a sample search that you can modify by adding your own key terms.
Oxford Journals Online Sample Search Canada Indigenous Law
Search: Abstract: Canada Abstract: (indigenous OR Indian OR first Nation) Abstract: (Law OR Legal OR Government OR Policy)
Filters:
JSTOR
Articles and e-books covering general disciplines including Arts & Sciences; Business; Life Sciences. See below for a sample search.
JSTOR Sample Search - Canada Indigenous Law
Search: (((ti:"Canada") AND (ti:" (indigenous OR Indian OR "customary law" OR "first nation") ")) AND (ti:"Law OR Legal OR Government OR Policy"));
Sorted by: Newest

Databases containing prepublication drafts of forthcoming articles

Legal Scholarship Network (LSN)
LSN is part of the the Social Science Research Network (SSRN). You can search LSN for early scholarly legal research (many papers are posted here prior to publication in academic journals). Or you can search the papers posted on LSN using the advanced search features available at SSRN. See below for a sample search using Google and limiting to the SSRN website.
Broad Multidisciplinary Sample Search Across SSRN Canada Indigenous Law
Google Search: Canada AND (indigenous OR Indian OR "customary law" OR "first nation") AND (Law OR Legal OR Government OR Policy) site:papers.ssrn.com
bepress Legal Repository
Free online access to working papers and pre-prints from scholars and professionals at top law schools around the world. See sample search below.
bepress Legal Repository Sample Search Canada Indigenous Law
Search: abstract:Canada AND abstract:( indigenous OR Indian OR "customary law" OR "first nation" ) AND abstract:( Law OR Legal OR Government OR Policy)

Search Indexes

Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals (IFLP)
A subject index to selected international and comparative law periodicals and collections of essays. Features in-depth English subject headings for searching foreign language articles. See below for sample search.
IFLP Sample Search - Subjects: Indigenous peoples- Canada
Sorted by date newest. You can use the subject filter to further refine your search.
Index to Legal Periodicals and Books
Full text and citations from legal periodicals and books. Periodical coverage includes law reviews, bar association journals, university publications, yearbooks, institutes, and government publications. Coverage: 1981 - present; Retrospective Coverage: 1908-1981. Links to full text for most citations. See below for sample search.
Index to Legal Periodicals and Books Sample Search
Search: Canada AND Abstract: indigenous OR Indian OR "customary law" OR "first nation" AND Law OR Legal OR Policy OR Government OR rights
Sorted by: Date Newest

To determine if UC Law SF has online access to a journal.

Search for the by journal title in:

UC Law SF Library e-Journals List
Search by Journal title, not article title.
UC Law SF Library e-Journals List Sample Search: Canada
Filter: e-Journals

If you have a citation and you cannot decipher what the abbreviation means, you can use:

The Bluebook by Harvard Law Review Association (Compiled by); Columbia Law Review (Compiled by); University of Pennsylvania Law Review (Compiled by); The Yale Law Journal (Compiled by)
Call Number: Reference Desk ; KF245 .U5 2020
ISBN: 9780578666150
Publication Date: 2020-05-20
A how-to guide providing easy-to-comprehend instruction for the everyday citation needs of first-year law students, summer associates, law clerks, practicing lawyers, and other legal professionals. The examples used throughout the Bluepages employ simple typeface conventions common in the legal profession.
Prince's Bieber Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations by Mary Miles Prince
Call Number: Reference Desk ; KF246 .B46 2017
ISBN: 9780837740393
Publication Date: 2017-01-01

Find articles in collections at other libraries

WorldCat
Locate books and articles available in libraries around the world. Use the blue button in the item record to place an interlibrary loan request for the item.
WorldCat search for Indigenous AND Law AND Canada
Filters: Articles; English; Last 5 years.
Google Scholar
Search a large number of law and social science journals. You can get access to the full-text of some but not all of the articles on Google Scholar. For seamless full-text access, where available, click “settings”, click “Library Links” and then select UC Law SF and SFPL. “Save” your settings.
You may need to go to the Library's subscription databases or e-Journals pages to find the full-text of some articles you locate on Google Scholar. If this does not work, you can request the full-text via Interlibrary Loan (ILL). See below for a sample search.

Obtain the full-text to articles that you have identified in Indexes, WorldCat or Google Scholar that are not in the UC Law SF Collection

If an article you have found is not in a law journal, and not in one of the online resources at UC Law SF, you may want to search the online databases collection at the:.

San Francisco Public Library
The San Francisco Public Library is located two blocks away from UC Law SF at 100 Larkin Street. To get online full-text access, any resident of California may:
apply for a SFPL library card.