At some point in any research project you will need to stop researching and get to work synthesizing all of the information you have found.  Knowing when to stop can be difficult, however, and many researchers worry that by concluding their searching they may miss some key article or case.  Here are some tips for knowing when to stop:

• You are seeing the same search results over and over – you have searched multiple resources and used a variety of search terms, but you are repeatedly seeing the same documents and citations.  This is a good sign that you have conducted a thorough search and no longer need to keep looking.
• You are investing more in your research than you are getting in return – at some point it will cost you more time and/or money to continue researching than the results you are getting are worth.  Conduct a cost/benefit analysis and consider whether continuing to research is worth the time it will take or the money it will cost.  This rule is especially pertinent when your project deadline is approaching – you want to make sure you give yourself enough time to write the paper or memo you conducted the research for in the first place.
• You feel comfortable that you have found the answer – sometimes you find the materials you need quickly, but be sure to check your resources to ensure they are still good law.

For more advice on knowing when to stop researching, read through the article “Terminating Research” by Christina Kunz.

This is the last post in our Research Tip Series.  The library staff wishes you the best as you move forward with your legal research and writing this semester.  If you need any help with your research please feel free to Ask a Librarian or make an individual research appointment – we would love to help you!

While statutory law and case law get plenty of attention in legal research and writing, the third area of law, administrative or regulatory law, is often overlooked.  It is just as binding as case and statutory law, however, and thus just as important; conducting research in this area of law is essential for any legal research project.

About administrative law
Administrative law is composed of the rules and regulations created and enforced by administrative agencies. The primary sources for federal administrative rulemaking are the Federal Register (FR) and Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Final rules and regulations of federal agencies are first published in the FR, which comes out each business day, except federal holidays. They are later published in the CFR, which is a subject compilation of the rules and regulations in effect at the time of its publication.

Finding administrative law
The Federal Register is available for free on the U.S. Government and Printing Office Federal Digital System (FDsys) website (1994-current).  It is also available on HeinOnline (1936-current), WestlawNext, Lexis Advance, and Bloomberg Law.

• Pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act, federal agencies must publish notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register and provide a period of time for public comments before a final rule is published.  Thus, the FR includes both proposed and final rules, and summaries of comments received can be found published with the final rule.

The Code of Federal Regulations is also freely accessible on the FDsys website (1996-current).  The U.S. Government and Printing Office also offers the e-CFR, which although unofficial, is the most current resource for federal regulations.  In addition, HeinOnline (1938-current), WestlawNext, Lexis Advance, and Bloomberg Law all have the CFR available.

Other administrative law resources
For in-depth information on finding regulations, as well as keeping your administrative law research current, check out the Ross-Blakley Law Library’s Federal Regulations Research Guide.  The Georgetown Law Library also offers an excellent Administrative Law Research Tutorial.  Finally, for a listing of federal agencies and their contact information consult the United States Government Manual in print in the Law Library or electronically on the GPO website.