The next major step in a cite check is to locate the sources cited in your footnotes. The Bluebook requires citation to print sources "unless there is a digital copy of the source available that is authenticated, official, or an exact copy of the printed source" (this often means a PDF, though it can be a website if the governing authority has designated it as such). See Rule 18 for more information.
Working from home: Be sure to read the Access to Databases Guide carefully for information on accessing licensed database resources.
Knowing where to look: Each of the tabs in the box below provides tips on locating a common type of source found in cite checks.
Please see the "Using the Library Catalogs" box at the bottom of this column for more information about using UC Library Search.
Books
- Law Review Articles
- Non-Law Periodical Articles
- All Articles
- Access: Electronic versus Print
Cases
When cite checking cases, the Bluebook allows the use of digital copies if they are “authenticated, official, or an exact copy of the printed source." (Bluebook Rule 18.2).
Statutes: Codes
"Official and unofficial codes arrange statutes currently in force by subject matter." (Bluebook Rule 12.1) (emphasis added).
Statutes: Session Laws
"Official and privately published session laws report statutes in chronological order of enactment." (Bluebook Rule 12.1) (emphasis added).
Websites
Locating and pulling a website as a source seems simple. However, one thing to keep in mind is the risk that links can break or the content therein can change. Once you have verified a link in your cite check assignment, determine whether your journal is using Perma.cc to archive URLs and create permanent Perma links to include in the article. If so, please familiarize yourself with how to use Perma.cc by consulting our guide below, the Perma website itself, or in a later tab of this LibGuide!
UN Documents
UN documents can be located using the UN document symbol in the citation.
Human Rights Council Res. 26/9, Rep. of Human Rights Council, 26th Sess., June 10-27, 2014, A/HRC/RES/26/9 (June 14, 2014).
In the citation above, the UN document symbol is A/HRC/RES/26/9. “Each UN document has a unique symbol at the top right of the document or on the cover page. Symbols include both letters and numbers. Some elements of the symbol have meaning, while other elements do not. The first component indicates the organ to which the document is submitted or the organ that is issuing the document. (A/ = General Assembly)." For more information, visit About UN Documents.
Treaties
Bluebook Rule 21.4.5 requires determining whether the United States is a party to the treaty and whether the treaty is bilateral or multilateral.
Newspapers
Starting with the 20th Edition of the Bluebook, "Online newspapers may be used in place of print newspapers." (Rule 16.6(f)).
If you wish to locate a print version (or an equivalent PDF of the print):
Searching the UCLA Catalog
Whether you are looking for a physical volume in the library or an electronic version of a source through a subscription database, begin with the UCLA Catalog via UC Library Search.
In the catalog record, look for:
When using UC Library Search, it is important to realize that the catalog includes titles of books, names of journals, and titles of government documents, but it does not reliably contain the titles of individual articles published in a journal.
As an example, let's say you are looking for the following article:
Eugene Volokh, Medical Self-Defense, Prohibited Experimental Therapies, and Payment for Organs, 120 Harv. L. Rev. 1813 (2006).
To locate the article, search the catalog for the journal title (Harvard Law Review) and NOT the title of Prof. Volokh’s article (Medical Self-Defense . . .).
Locating Materials Outside UCLA
The WorldCat database collects data on the holdings of libraries throughout the United States and the world. WorldCat can help you with your cite check in two ways.
You can access WorldCat in two ways: directly through the WorldCat interface or through UC Library Search (at the top, under Search for, select WorldCat Global Catalog).