Advanced Legal Research & Analytical Methods equips participants with the skills needed to navigate complex legal regimes, interpret statutes, and critically analyse case law. The programme blends doctrinal rigour with comparative, socio‑legal, and policy perspectives, while fostering confidence in digital research tools and citation practices. Through eight structured modules, learners progress from foundational techniques to advanced methodologies, culminating in a capstone project. Designed for law students, early‑career researchers, and policy professionals, the course emphasises practical application, critical engagement, and professional standards, preparing participants to produce persuasive, well‑structured legal research for academic, practice, and policy contexts.
General
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This course offers an intensive overview of legal research principles and practices. Learners are provided with skills to search and apply legal sources with efficiency and accuracy. Emphasis is placed on teaching a systematic approach to research that would ensure any submission whatever its nature is marked with accuracy, credibility, and relevance.
Key Learning Outcomes
· Legal Sources: To comprehend the concept of legal sources and be able to distinguish primary and secondary sources of law through legislation, judicial decisions, and legal writings.
· Research Technique: Learn to utilise legal libraries and database software to research and retrieve legal materials.
· Critical Analysis: Evaluate the credibility of sources, using them as required in legal reasoning.
· Referencing and Citation: Effective use of legal citations in work, in terms of clarity and adherence to recognised norms.
· Practical Application: Apply research findings to practical problems in a manner appropriate for application and use in a practical and academic level.
Course Overview
Course image and banner credit: Katrin Bolovtsova.
The coursework integrates theory and practice through exercises, case studies, and solo research tasks. The students shall be encouraged to follow a reflexive and systematic approach to their research work, and the research itself shall not only be comprehensive but shall also be appropriate for the strategic level of legal practice.