Sample Searches

The Making of Modern Law Sample Searches

The Making of Modern Law features a fully searchable database of approximately 10 million pages and from more than 22,000 works. It provides researchers with a logical, interdisciplinary approach to the study of modern law and allows a vast segment of the literature of law to be quickly searched via keyword access by any faculty member or student anywhere, any time! With the full-text search capabilities on the facsimile pages, researchers can conduct precise searches and comparative research in every area of law.

Search 1:

A legal researcher using The Making of Modern Law wanted to find works by John Jay dealing with the formation of the U.S. Constitution.

Solution:

1. Opened The Making of Modern Law and went to the "Advanced Search" page.
2. Entered "John Jay" in "Author" in the first entry box.
3. Entered "constitution" in "Subject" in the second entry box.
4. Limited to "Treatises on American Law:" in the "by Body of Law" box.
5. Limited to "English" in the "by Language:" box.
6. Clicked on the "Search" button and retrieved more than 10 works.

Search 2:

A law student wanted to find resources that discuss the concept of habeas corpus in relation to constitutional law.

Solution:

1. Opened The Making of Modern Law and entered "habeas corpus" in "Keyword" in the "Basic Search" entry box.
2. Limited to "Constitutional Law" by selecting it in the "Topic:" box.
3. Limited to "Treatises on American Law:" in the "by Body of Law" box.
4. Clicked on the "Search" button and retrieved more than 40 works.

Search 3:

How can one find works dealing with the Louisiana Purchase of 1803?

Solution:

1. Open The Making of Modern Law, enter "Louisiana Purchase" in the "Basic Search" entry box and select "Subject" for the "Search type:".
2. Click on the "Search" button to retrieve four works.
3. Increase the works retrieved to more than 15 by selecting "Keyword" for the "Search type:".

Search 4:

A professor preparing for a lecture on the kinds of penalties meted out to convicted persons before the 19th century wanted to find an illustration of the "ducking stool" punishment.

Solution:

1. Opened The Making of Modern Law and went to the "Advanced Search" page.
2. Entered "punishement*" in "Subject" in the first entry box.
3. Entered "ducking stool" in "Keyord" in the second entry box.
4. Clicked on the "Search" button and retrieved six works.
5. Selected a title by William Andrews deaing with ducking stool and other kinds of punishments by clicking on the "List of Illustrations" link.
6. Six illustrations of the ducking stool were retrieved.

Search 5:

How can one find works on British maritime law between 1800 and 1812?

Solution:

1. Open The Making of Modern Law and limit "Year(s) of Publication:" to "1800-1812".
2. Limit to "Treatises on British Law:" in the "by Body of Law" box.
3. Limit to "Maritime Law" by selecting it in the "Topic:" box.
4. Click on the "Search" button to retrieve more than 10 works.