Legal Research Methodology
LME3701CONTENTS
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CONTENTS .............................................................................................................................................2
I. INTRODUCTION AND GENERAL ORIENTATION ..........................................................
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, CONTENTS
Page
CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................................. 2
I. INTRODUCTION AND GENERAL ORIENTATION ...................................................................... 5
II. PURPOSE AND OUTCOMES ...................................................................................................... 6
a) Purpose ........................................................................................................................................ 6
b) Outcomes ..................................................................................................................................... 6
III. HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE ......................................................................................................... 7
a) Prescribed material ....................................................................................................................... 7
b) Structure of study guide ................................................................................................................ 8
c) Structure of the study units ........................................................................................................... 9
d) Use of gender ............................................................................................................................... 9
e) A note on case references ............................................................................................................ 9
f) Hints for studying this module ....................................................................................................... 9
SECTION A............................................................................................................................................ 12
LEGAL RESEARCH: GENERAL THEMES ........................................................................................... 12
1. INTRODUCTION TO LEGAL RESEARCH ................................................................................. 12
2. CLASSIFYING LEGAL RESEARCH .......................................................................................... 15
2.1 Defining legal research ............................................................................................................... 15
2.2 Elements of legal research.......................................................................................................... 17
2.3 Types of research ....................................................................................................................... 18
2.3.1 Doctrinal legal research ........................................................................................................... 20
2.3.2 Empirical legal research / socio-legal studies ........................................................................ 20
2.3.3 International and comparative legal research .............................................................................. 21
3. CONDUCTING RESEARCH IN LAW ......................................................................................... 21
4. RESEARCH DESIGN (PLANNING) AND METHODOLOGY...................................................... 22
4.1 Research design (planning) ........................................................................................................ 22
4.2 Research methodology ............................................................................................................... 23
4.3 Approaches to research / types of research ................................................................................ 24
4.3.1 Qualitative Research vs Quantitative Research .......................................................................... 25
4.3.2 Legal Comparative Approach ...................................................................................................... 25
4.3.3 Legal Historical Approach ........................................................................................................... 26
5. ORGANISATION OF RESEARCH AND FORMULATING A WORKING TITLE ......................... 27
6. THE RESEARCH QUESTION, PROBLEM OR STATEMENT .................................................... 28
7. SCHOLARSHIP/LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................... 31
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, LME3701/501
8. FUNDAMENTAL ASPECTS OF A RESEARCH PROPOSAL .................................................... 32
9. STYLE AND FORMATTING OF RESEARCH IN LAW AT CLAW ............................................. 34
9.1 Footnote style ............................................................................................................................. 34
10. CITATION AND REFERENCING METHODS ............................................................................. 35
11. RESEARCH INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT .................................................... 35
11.1 Plagiarism ................................................................................................................................... 36
11.1.1 Defining plagiarism ..................................................................................................................... 37
11.1.2 Copying another student's work is plagiarism ............................................................................. 37
11.2 Copyright and academic writing ................................................................................................. 37
11.2.1 Both copyright infringement and plagiarism ................................................................................ 38
11.2.2 Copyright infringement but not plagiarism ................................................................................... 38
11.2.3 Plagiarism but not copyright infringement ................................................................................... 39
11.3 How to avoid plagiarism .............................................................................................................. 39
SECTION B ............................................................................................................................................ 44
LEGAL RESEARCH PROPOSAL: STUDY UNITS ................................................................................ 44
LEARNING UNIT 1 ................................................................................................................................ 45
RESEARCH PROPOSAL ...................................................................................................................... 45
12. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 45
LEARNING UNIT 2 ................................................................................................................................ 50
PRELIMINARY WORK .......................................................................................................................... 50
13. CONSTRUCTING A RESEARCH JOURNAL ............................................................................. 50
14. ORGANISING YOUR RESEARCH............................................................................................. 51
LEARNING UNIT 3 ................................................................................................................................ 53
INTRODUCTION AND PROPOSED / WORKING TITLE ....................................................................... 53
15. PROPOSED/WORKING TITLE .................................................................................................. 53
16. RESEARCH INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................... 54
LEARNING UNIT 4 ................................................................................................................................ 56
PROBLEM STATEMENT ....................................................................................................................... 56
17. PROBLEM STATEMENT ........................................................................................................... 56
LEARNING UNIT 5 ................................................................................................................................ 59
HYPOTHESIS ........................................................................................................................................ 59
18. WHAT IS A HYPOTHESIS ......................................................................................................... 59
LEARNING UNIT 6 ................................................................................................................................ 60
POINTS OF DEPARTURE AND ASSUMPTIONS ................................................................................. 60
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, 19. POINT OF DEPARTURE AND ASSUMPTIONS ........................................................................ 60
LEARNING UNIT 7 ................................................................................................................................ 61
CONCEPTUALISATION OF CENTRAL RESEARCH THEMES ............................................................ 61
LEARNING UNIT 8 ................................................................................................................................ 62
CHAPTER OUTLAY .............................................................................................................................. 62
LEARNING UNIT 9 ................................................................................................................................ 65
PROJECTED TIME FRAME .................................................................................................................. 65
LEARNING UNIT 10 .............................................................................................................................. 66
DESCRIPTION OF RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ............................................................................... 66
LEARNING UNIT 11 .............................................................................................................................. 67
PRELIMINARY RESEARCH .................................................................................................................. 67
LEARNING UNIT 12 .............................................................................................................................. 68
EVALUATING YOUR RESEARCH PROPOSAL ................................................................................... 68
SECTION C ............................................................................................................................................ 72
SCHOOL OF LAW REFERENCING METHODS .................................................................................... 72
20. CLAW REFERENCING METHODS............................................................................................ 73
20.1 Basic rules of referencing in the School of Law ..................................................................... 73
20.2 Specific rules for different types of sources ........................................................................... 73
20.2.1 Books and contributions in books................................................................................................ 73
20.2.2 Journal articles............................................................................................................................ 75
20.2.3 Old authorities............................................................................................................................. 75
20.2.4 Internet sources .......................................................................................................................... 75
20.2.5 Law reports ................................................................................................................................. 75
20.2.6 Legislation .................................................................................................................................. 76
20.2.7 International and regional instruments/documents ...................................................................... 76
21. Summary ................................................................................................................................... 77
SECTION D ............................................................................................................................................ 78
MISCELLANEOUS ................................................................................................................................ 78
22. NOTES ON ACCESSING RELIABLE SOURCES OF LEGAL INFORMATION ......................... 81
22.1 DANGERS OF THE INTERNET AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION ......................................... 81
22.1.1 RELIABLE, AUTHORITATIVE AND PERSUASIVE SOURCES OF LAW ................................... 81
Bibliography ......................................................................................................................................... 83
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