Secondary Resources and How to Find Them

Secondary resources are the place to start

Secondary resources include books, websites, online guides, and pamphlets that explain the topic and provide references to case law, laws, rules, and forms.

It is generally best to start your research by looking at secondary resources. They may provide an overview in plain language. They may also save you time by pulling together a lot of the information you need in one resource.

Secondary resources range from very basic information summaries to detailed do-it-yourself guides. At the technical legal end, they also include specialist texts on various topics and lawyers’ tools.

Locations to find secondary resources

• The website Clicklaw features secondary resources. See the handout How to Use Clicklaw (PDF).
• Public libraries throughout the province contain many titles in print of secondary resources, depending on the size of the library. To find a library in your community, see the Map of BC Libraries and Branches. For lists of titles that a public library might have, see this guide Getting Started with Your Legal Collection (PDF).
• Courthouse Libraries BC offer extensive resources of specialist texts and tools for lawyers. These are described in Research resources at Courthouse Libraries BC.

This information applies to British Columbia, Canada. Last reviewed for legal accuracy by Courthouse Libraries BC staff, October 2015.

Beginner's Guide to Finding Legal Information © Courthouse Libraries BC 2015 is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Canada Licence.