Josiah H. Blackmore Library
Capital University
Online Research Guide
Legal Nurse Consultants

Instructors: Sue Dill, Nurse Attorney
Julie Brightwell, Nurse Attorney
Librarian: Jp Brennan

Contents

  1. Scope
  2. Reference Tools
  3. How a Bill Becomes Law
  4. Locating and Using Legislative Histories, Laws, Regulations, and Court Opinions
  5. Finding Information on CHARLI and OhioLINK
  6. Locating Articles in the OhioLINK Research Databases & the Electronic Journal Center
  7. Internet Resources
  8. Sample Search Strategy
  9. Additional Online Course Guide: Nursing Informatics

1. Scope

Use this guide to find research materials for your course in Legal Nurse Consulting. The available collections are from Capital University's Blackmore Library (Main Campus in Bexley) as well those of the OhioLINK network of Ohio colleges and universities (70+). The material comes in many formats: books, periodicals, CD-ROMs, government documents, and online.

You can search at computers in the library or with an internet connection in your home or at your place of employment. When using a computer outside of a Capital library, you MUST have a current Capital I.D. with a LINKED barcode to conduct searches or request materials for pickup. Materials can be picked up directly at either Blackmore or the Law School Library. Access to collections and delivery of materials is provided to students enrolled in OhioLINK member schools at no cost to them.

Blackmore's Reference Librarians are available to help you find and/or request the material(s) you need. Click here to connect to a library tutorial that provides a basic introduction to the resources at Blackmore Library.

Note: This is only a general, introductory guide to legal resources. For specific questions, and questions relating to specific cases, you should consult a law librarian, most of whom have JD degrees. Click here to connect to the Capital University Law School Library home page

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2. Reference Tools

The following specialized dictionaries, encyclopedias, and periodicals located in Capital's Main Library will provide valuable terminology, background information, and legislative histories.

Dictionaries
Directories
Encyclopedias
Guides
Legislative and Other Government Information
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3. How a Bill Becomes Law

Federal Legislation
For an overview of the often complex path a bill follows before it becomes federal law, connect to CIS Congressional Universe. Click on the Overview button, then scroll down the page to the Help button. At that point click on Legislative Process and From Bill to Law.
Ohio Legislation
Ohio legislation, regulations, and many other documents are covered by theOhio Capitol Connection. For an introduction to how a bill becomes law in Ohio, click on the Library button, then scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Misc. Documents, then on How a Bill Becomes Law which is at the lower half of the page.

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4. Locating and Using Legislative Histories, Laws, Regulations, and Court Opinions

Laws | Regulations | Court Opinions

Laws
Federal

For federal legislative histories of bills dating back to the 91st Congress (1970), or the full text of bills dating back to the 101st (1989-90) Congress, consult CIS Congressional Universe. You can find the full text of a bill either by doing a subject search on the Track proposed legislation form (knowing the name of a sponsor will speed your search) or by filling in the bill number on the Retrieve a bill form.

Once passed and signed, all federal laws--also called "Public Laws" or "P.L."s--are published in chronological order in the Statutes at Large. You can search these by going back to 1988 by using CIS Congressional Universe and searching by keyword or P.L. number.

Federal laws "of a general and permanent nature" organized by topic are published in the U.S. Code. You can search the entire U.S. Code by keyword or USC citation from several WWW access points:

The U.S. Code also is available in print in the Reference Area (345.21 Un3, 1994).

For legislative histories before 1970, try the U.S. Code Congressional and Administrative News. The Columbus Metropolitan Library/Business Division carries it from 1949-present.

Ohio
Ohio legislation is codified by subject in the Ohio Revised Code (ORC). Annotated versions provide history, references to court opinions, relevant law review articles, and more.:

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Regulations
 Once a bill becomes law, whether at the federal or state level, an agency of the executive branch of the government often becomes responsible for implementing that law by issuing rules and regulations.

At the federal level the Federal Register is the daily record of all those rules and regulations. The Code of Federal Regulations is the codified version, arranged by subject and issued quarterly. The Ohio Administrative Code is the equivalent subject-organized code for the state.

To access:

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Court Opinions
 Before doing any of your legal research on the Internet, you might want to consult The American Association of Law Librarians' The Compleat Internet Researcher

To locate Ohio and federal court opinions in Capital's Blackmore Library, whether from lower or appelate courts or the Supreme Court, use LEXIS-NEXIS Academic Universe. Capital's Law Library should be able to provide things you can't find at the Blackmore Library.

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5. Finding Information on CHARLI and OhioLINK

CHARLI is Capital's online library catalog. It lists all formats (books, cd's, video's, government documents, etc.) included in the Blackmore and Law Library collections.

OhioLINK is a statewide network of academic and other research libraries, including Capital, which share the items in their collections through a huge virtual catalog. If the item you need is not available at Capital, you can jump quickly into OhioLINK and request the loan of that item from a member institution. The item will arrive within two to three business days. Be sure to check OhioLINK if you're not finding enough information in Capital's collection.

If you still need more books, try WorldCat, one of the databases you'll find available through Blackmore Library's home page. You can request items found in WorldCat through Inter-Library Loan, a process that can take up to two weeks.

Searching for Materials Using Subject Headings and/or Keywords or Phrases

Subject Searching
Subject searches of CHARLI and OhioLINK require you to use standardized subject headings taken from the Library of Congress Subject Headings. One copy of this red, 5-volume set can be found on the First Floor. Any bold-face subject heading you find listed here is a valid heading, and underneath it you also will find listed headings not to use (UF), as well as broader (BT), narrower (NT), and related (RT) headings to try. When you find a useful book, be sure to note the subject headings under which it is listed (see the "Subject" line) on the screen. Use these specific subject headings for subsequent searches in order to find related materials.

For example, you can begin with these subject headings when doing a Subject search of CHARLI or OhioLINK:

Note - Medical Subject Headings (MeSH):
If you are using the OhioLINK Central Catalog, you will want to try the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), as well as LC Subject Headings. Published by the National Library of Medicine. The MeSH headings are much more specific than the LC subject headings. Most medical libraries, including the OhioLINK medical libraries, catalog their materials using MeSH headings. Be sure to choose Medical Subject, rather than Subject, when you perform this kind of search in the OhioLINK Central Catalog.

Keyword or Phrases Searching
Keyword searches allow you to enter any word or combination of words that you hope will appear in a book's title, subject headings, contents notes, or series title. You can combine your terms using the connecting words "and", "or" and "not", and you can truncate words using the asterisk. (For example, "nurs* will find "nurse", "nurses", "nursing", or any other words beginning with that stem.) See the search help screens for more specific tips.
Click here for information on printing or e-mailing citations to books and other items that you find listed in CHARLI and OhioLINK.
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6. Locating Articles in the OhioLINK Research Databases and the Electronic Journal Center

OhioLINK's online catalog also includes a resource known as the OhioLINK Research Databases. Here you can find articles from professional periodicals (or journals) using the same methods of keyword(s) or phrases and subject heading search strategies that you applied looking for books, etc. Oftentimes, you'll need to use an index.

You can access periodical indexes by clicking on the links below; by connecting to them from the Blackmore Library's Home Page, or by clicking here OhioLINK Research Databases.

Additional online materials (Reference resources; Broadcast, Internet and Print News and Digital Media) can be accessed by clicking here E-Texts/Media. Most of these resouces will provide full-text materials.

Suggested Indexes

Locating Periodicals
Once you find a potentially useful article, look up the periodical title (not the article title) on CHARLI to see whether Capital subscribes to the periodical. If it does, you will find the periodical shelved in alphabetical order on the Third Floor. If it is in microfilm format, it will be stored on the Third Floor, too. You will find photocopy machines on the First and Third Floors and a microfilm reader/printer on the Third Floor.

If Capital does not own the periodical, or the article is not available online, feel free to request a copy of the article by filling out an Inter-Library Loan form, found at both the Reference Desk and the Inter-Library Loan Desk. Often it can take up to two weeks to obtain ILL articles, so be sure to plan ahead. As usual, be sure to ask a librarian if you need any help.

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7. Internet Resources

The Internet, especially the World Wide Web, can be a great source for information about social work and the law. Be sure to check the authority, accuracy, and currency of the information you find there, however. The Internet Resources screen on Capital's Research Guides page will lead you to some helpful tips for effective searching and evaluation of the sites you find.

Here are some Web sites to try:

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8. Sample Search Strategy

The Problem
You and a hospital social worker have been assigned the case of a 3-year-old girl with asthma whose mother, a 17-year-old with a history of drug addiction, is neglecting her medical needs. The child's father is unknown. What research strategy should you follow to gain information about dealing with this case?

Your Strategy
  1. Where should I begin my search for information?

    Capital's Main Library may be able to supply most of what you need. If not, Capital students have access to the Capital Law Library.

    Try legal encyclopedias to obtain an overview of your topic, as well as citations to landmark opinions. The Guide to American Law (340.03 G941 R--Reference Area) is a subject encyclopedia designed for the layperson. Be sure to use its index and to check its supplements for updated information. If you are visiting Capital's Law Library, try the American Jurisprudence or Corpus Juris sets.

  2. Is this question more likely related to Ohio or to federal law?

    Begin by looking at state law. You may need to examine federal law, as well, if you are looking into federally administered benefits, such as Medicaid.

  3. What type of law should I look for?

    Codified statutes, in Ohio's case the Ohio Revised Code, will organize statutes by subject. If you use an annotated code, like the one you find in the Ohio Capitol Connection or Page's Ohio Revised Code Annotated (345.22 Oh3p R--Reference Area), you should be able to identify related statutes, court cases, and even law review or encyclopedia articles. The printed version has the advantage of allowing you to scan its index easily in order to discover additional useful terms to use in your search.

  4. How do I follow up the court cases that the statute annotations mention?

    Try LEXIS-NEXIS Academic Universe here at Blackmore Library. Capital's Law Library will have printed reporter series and other tools that you can use. Remember to check the pocket parts of these and any other printed sources that you consult.

    Note: Only Capital law and paralegal students have access to that library's LEXIS and Westlaw databases.

  5. Where will I find rules and regulations associated with this topic?

    Access the Ohio Administrative Code through the Ohio Capitol Connection.

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    9. Additional Online Research Guide--Nursing Informatics

    The online research guide designed for Nursing Informatics, points to additional resources that could be of interest to you. Click here to connect: Nursing Informatics.

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    Page created by: Jp Brennan, Public Services & Reference Librarian, Blackmore Library

    June, 2001

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