Prepare to Practice Resources

Some tips for when you begin your research that will help you keep track of everything are:

• Track what and when you searched
• Briefly note if a source was useful or not
• Take note of new terminology
• Use right-click and copy with reference to copy quotes and sections of documents with bluebook citation information right into your notes
• Take note of currency and citator flags
• Take note of what your source cites (and why/how)
• If you use the source to find other sources, note:
  • for cases - citing sources, headnotes/key numbers
  • for statutes and regulations - notes of decision, cross-references
• Legal databases have a variety of custom tools including highlighting/notes, folders & search history that can help track your research

Below, you will find a PDF for a sample research tracking log that you can use to get started. As you go along and get more comfortable with using a log, you can make adjustments as needed for what works best for you.

Bloomberg, Lexis, and Westlaw all have built-in tools that help track research, including research history trails and shareable folders and workspaces. There are often cost incentives to using these, so check with your employer about expectations

Bloomberg Law

Look above the search bar to the upper right of the screen and you'll find the "Research Trail" tab. If you click it, you will be able to see a brief selection of your most recent research items. Select "View All" to see all research from the last 6 months. You can do a keyword search, look through a date range, and even separate your results by search string or document, allowing you to see what searches you attempted and what documents you selected. 

Lexis+

If you go to Lexis+, you can look at the top right of the home screen and you'll see the "History" tab. If you select it, you can see look at your most recent research by "Searches," "Documents," or "Shepard's." You can also choose to "View All History," which will allow you to see more results. In this page, you will be able to limit your results by "Date," "Search Within History," "Client," and "Originated In." There are also several different ways you can sort your results, such as by client, title or date saved. Lastly, Lexis+ offers you a "Printer Friendly View" of your research trail, allowing you to print out your results in case you have a supervisor who wants to see your research. 

Westlaw Precision

If you look to the upper right hand side of Westlaw Precision, you will see a "History" tab. If you click it, you will see a brief overview of your most recent research, as well as have the option to narrow your results by "All," "Searches," "Documents," and "Other." (Other will include everything that isn't a search or a document, such as "Key Cite" and "Related Information.") You either click on the "View All" link at the top of the text box or look at the link at the bottom, "View This History," to look at a broader range of your research. From there, you can do a search by "Keyword," "Event Date," "Client ID," or "Event." (Event means the type, like document, search, or everything classified as other.)