Although these readings set out a general methodology for research, your strategy must always be adapted to your situation. It must be focused on the appropriate resources in your subject area, taking into account the parameters listed above. For a common law issue, you will usually start by reviewing one or more narrative secondary sources . However, your circumstances may dictate a different approach. If you are already familiar with the general area of law, and know a leading case, you can start your research by reviewing that case and noting it up .
Statutory research is rather different from researching the common law.
It requires that you start with consideration of the statute itself, and then look for judicial consideration of and commentary on the statute. Your first step will probably be to find and review an annotated version of the statute. Some research problems may require you to go beyond traditional legal sources and include research from other disciplines. References Best, Basic Legal Research Checklist . Bora Laskin Law Library Guide to Legal Research .