If you find a reference to the perfect journal article in a database, as often happens in CaseBase, for example, here is the process you use to check if full text is available somewhere, anywhere!
- Make a note of the full citation. For example, Aboriginal land rights after Mabo (1992) 66 LIJ 1105.
- Identify the full title of the journal from the abbreviation. In this example LIJ is the abbreviation representing the full title of the journal. To find the full title you will need to check an abbreviations list.
- If you are in CaseBase go to: Help > Abbreviations and browse the alphabetical list for the correct full title. In this example, LIJ is Law Institute Journal (Vic).
- If you are not in CaseBase, then use either the Legal Research Guide: Abbreviations or Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations and search By Abbreviation. In this instance, if you knew the publication was from Victoria, that would help in locating the correct title in Cardiff.
- Go to OneSearch and enter the title of the journal e.g. Law Institute Journal. Use the drop down menu to limit the search to Journal titles.
- If you find an entry for the journal, click on Check Availability to see volumes held or View Online if an online version is available. In this case the journal is available on the shelf. The holdings indicate that volume 66 (1992) is available
- This article would be located in the Law Journals collection on level 3 of the Beasley Law library. Locate volume 66, page 1105, and read or photocopy the article