AGIS Plus Text - Effective Searching

Effective Searching: AGIS Plus Text

This tutorial will show you how to access and search AGIS Plus Text to find journal articles for legal topics.

You can use the skills you learn here to find journal articles on a range of legal topics in AGIS Plus Text.

Let's get started!

How to use this tutorial

How to access AGIS Plus Text

We are starting at the A-Z Database list.

• Click A
• Click AGIS Plus Text
• Enter your username and password
• You are now in AGIS Plus Text

Note: The A-Z Database list is found on the UOW Library homepage.

Selecting Search Words

 We're using this example topic:

Discuss unconscionable conduct in contract law both in equity and by statute.

 Search Tips Explained

Alternative Search Words

Often there are commonly known legal terms and phrases that are used when searching for information e.g. "unconscionable conduct".

However, it's also useful to think about alternative search words. Why?

Are there words or phrases you can use instead of 'statute'?

Answer

Searching

Let's enter the search words for the example topic:

Discuss unconscionable conduct in contract law both in equity and by statute.

---

1. In AGIS Plus Text select Advanced Search.

2. Click to create extra search boxes.

3. Enter your search words into each box:

"unconscionable conduct"

AND

contract*

AND

equity OR statute OR act OR legislation

(Click on the image below to enlarge it and check if you have entered the words correctly.)

4. Click Search.

 Search Tips Explained

Results Page

Reviewing your results

Your results will be sorted by newest (date), with the most recent articles appearing first.

You can re-sort by a range of criteria including:

• date e.g. oldest, newest
• publication
• relevance.

Sort your results by relevance. The database will rank results based on your search words in subjects, titles and sources.

(Note: the re-sort option will work when using AGIS outside of this tutorial.)

This will help you to review the most relevant items first.

Journal articles and related information

Let's review our results to find relevant articles and related information.

The image below is a journal article. It shows the author(s), article title, journal title, and abstract.

Records in AGIS Plus Text may also provide you with additional information.

Click on the image above to enlarge it and note the jurisdiction, legislation and legal cases fields.

What is the 'jurisdiction'?

Answer

What is the relevant 'legislation'?

 Answer

Browsing to find relevant information

This is an example of a journal article record that identifies a legal case. Click the image to see the Legal Cases field.

From your results:

1. Find a journal article record that identifies a Legal Case.

2. Click on that Case to find all journal articles in AGIS Plus Text that discuss that case.

List the Case you click on. How many journal article results did you find?

From your journal article record, click on the Act listed in the Legislation field to find all journal articles that discuss that act.

Reading full text of an article

Click on the PDF Full Text link to read the full-text of an article.

If there is no PDF Full Text link, you can also click on the Find@UOW or Check for Full Text link. This will search our resources for the full-text.

Note: you cannot get the full-text version of legislation and legal cases in this database (use Lexis Advance, Westlaw AU, Lawlex Premium or AustLII).

Summary

This tutorial has shown you how to find journal articles.

Now try searching for your own topic.

Feedback

Thank you for completing this Library tutorial.

So that we can evaluate and improve our tutorials, we would appreciate if you could provide anonymous feedback.

Further Help

• Information on finding legal cases and legislation is available in the Law Guide (opens in a new window).

Certificate

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