When undertaking legal research, consulting secondary sources provide you with an overview of the legal principles you are investigating. Secondary sources include:

• textbooks & books discussing specialised legal topics
• encyclopaedias & dictionaries
• journal articles

Secondary sources will provide you with the broader legal context of an issue, alert you to areas of uncertainty and debate in the law, as well as referring you to key primary sources such as cases and treaties.

Start by consulting textbooks, books and legal encyclopaedias, which will discuss legal principles more broadly, before moving to journal articles and commentary for a more critical analysis of a legal issue.