Skip to Main Content

Directed Research Projects

Analyze your Topic

Before starting your research, it is important to spend some time analyzing the materials that you already have at your disposal. If you begin researching without being able to answer fundamental questions about the topic, it is unlikely you will have enough background knowledge about your topic to fully process the material that shows up in your research. It is better practice to review and process as much information as possible before you begin researching. Understanding your topic will allow you to develop an efficient research plan and a strong list of key terms that will help you locate sources.

  • When analyzing your topic, start by considering all preliminary information you have at your disposal. Did your advising faculty member suggest a few starting resources? Have you found a research guide that is on point for this topic? Have you met with librarians to ask for suggested background reading? 
  • Are there any starting points embedded in the preliminary materials? For example, you may be pointed to a particular statute as a starting point. Or, you may have been given the name of the seminal case. If, for example, you knew that the answer involved a particular federal statute, you might begin by reading that statute and looking at annotations in an annotated federal code like U.S.C.A. or U.S.C.S.
  • Is there any language that you don’t understand? Don't be afraid to look up terminology before proceeding. Make sure your understanding of the topic is complete. 
  • Do you understand the scope of your directed research project? Are you exploring a specific jurisdiction? Are you looking at a certain series of cases? Is there a date range for the type of material you're considering? 

After working through the above questions, ask yourself whether you feel confident you understand the legal landscape of your directed research project. If you do, you are probably ready to start researching! If you're still confused or have questions, this is a great time to pause and check in with a librarian. Make an appointment, email the reference librarians, or drop into the Zoom Reference Office.

Preemption Checks

Running a preemption check provides an examination of existing research, and serves as a foundation for your own research. It allows you to critically evaluate existing research, and puts your new thesis in context with the overall scholarly conversation. When conducting a preemption check, you should consider who are the leading scholars in the subject area, what has been published on the subject, what factors or subtopics have these scholars identified as important for further examination, what research methods have others used, what were the pros and cons of using those methods, or what other theories have been explored.

In short, running a preemption check means confirming whether someone else has already written an article on the same topic with the same thesis you are considering. During the preemption check process you will likely find articles that also address your topic. But don't conclude you are preempted unless after reading those articles you find that you have no new, worthwhile insights to offer. For instructions on conducting a complete preemption check, review this Preemption Checking Guide from the Dorraine Zief Law Library. The below Preemption Checklist will point you to locations to check to ensure your work is sufficiently original to be published. Also see the full list of SLS legal databases

For the preemption search process you will use the same tools to locate preempting literature in law journals, law-related journals, or specialized scholarly journals: indexes, table of contents, or full text searches.

Preemption Checklist: 

Indices / Law Periodicals: These indices are designed to provide you with a specific citation to a specific article. Once you have your specific citation, you can locate the cited literature in paper form by searching via the Articles+ feature of our catalog. If our library does not own the publication you seek, then you can request it via interlibrary loan

Full Text Databases: Often, searches within databases that retain full texts of materials can prove fruitful. 

Not Yet Published If material preempts your work but is pending not-as-yet-published scholarship, it won't show up in your database/period searches. To ensure you don't miss pending works, check the following resources.

Tools for Keeping Track of Research

  • Keep a research log! 
    • Keep track of your research using a research log. Research logs are beneficial in that they help you:
    1. Avoid repetition - no one wants to repeat the work they've already done. Keeping a research log allows you to know where you searched and the outcome of that search. 
    2. Increase collaboration - are you working with a group or partner? Want to make sure you're repeating the same research your teammate(s) have already done? Then share you research log. This will allow you to divide and conquer a project. 
    3. Prove a negative - trying to prove something doesn't exist is virtually impossible without a research log. But if you need to indicate there is nothing on point for your research question, use your log as evidence you've searched everywhere that can be searched; thus, the point you were hoping to find is not available. 
  • Tools for keeping track of research 
  • There are four versions available:
    • EndNote Basic (Free Version) is a no-cost limited web version with 21 styles and a limited number of filters and connection files. This version is available to anyone. A maximum of 50,000 references and 2 GB of attachments is allowed. 
    • EndNote Basic (Web of Science Version) is a limited web-based version available to Stanford faculty, students, and staff as part of our subscription to Web of Science. Like the free version of EndNote Basic, a maximum of 50,000 references and 2 GB of attachments is allowed. In addition, the Web of Science version of EndNote Basic has over 6,000 styles and hundreds of filters and connection files.
    • EndNote, also known as EndNote Desktop, is the stand-alone full software package for a personal computer. Stanford users can purchase the most current version at the academic price at OnTheHub
    • EndNote Online is an expanded version of EndNote Basic that is available once your EndNote Desktop software is associated with your EndNote Basic account. Unlike EndNote Basic, EndNote Online allows an unlimited number of references and attachments. EndNote Desktop can synchronize references with EndNote Online.
    • NOTE: Earlier versions of EndNote Basic and EndNote Online were called EndNote Web. "EndNote Web" can loosely refer to any of the EndNote versions available via the web. However, there is no EndNote product that is currently called "EndNote Web".
    • Mendeley is a "freemium" service, offering a free basic plan and a premium service for an additional fee. The Mendeley Free Edition provides 2GB of personal storage space, 100 MB of shared library space, up to 25 collaborators, and up to 5 private groups. Various premium plans are available from the Mendeley Upgrade page (Mendeley account login required).
  • Information on additional citation tools can be found here.