Gallagher Law Library, May 2011, Bluebook 101 Electronic Sources Rule 18

Gallagher Law Library, May 2011, Choice of Electronic Source Bluebook: prefer LexisNexis, Westlaw, and other commercial electronic databases because of their “reliability and authoritativeness.” (R. 18.3) BUT: in an online journal, it’s a courtesy to your readers to link to a source they can reach.

LexisNexis Academic Prefer free Internet sites if available Drive-by Shooting Kills Six Outside Church, UPI, Jan. 7, 2010, available at LEXISNEXIS ACADEMIC, News. Gallagher Law Library, May 2011,

Underlying Reason? Help the Reader FIND the material you cited EVALUATE your work

Gallagher Law Library, May 2011, Commercial Databases Use Lexis or Westlaw citation (or other system’s identifier) Tell reader what database something is available in

Gallagher Law Library, May 2011, Use Internet Source not available in print or in widely available commercial database, OR It’s available in print, but Internet version is identical and parallel citation will improve access » R

Gallagher Law Library, May 2011, URL Give exact URL for document If search is required, give instructions on how to get there. » R (d)

Gallagher Law Library, May 2011, Example Memorandum from Paul Wolfowitz, Deputy Sec'y of Def., to the Sec'y of the Navy (July 7, 2004) [hereinafter Wolfowitz Memorandum], available at 07review.pdf 07review.pdf

Document Format Prefer pdf over html » (f) Gallagher Law Library, May 2011,

Parallel Citations Same source Improve access » R

Gallagher Law Library, May 2011, Example Am. Bar Ass’n, Perceptions of the U.S. Justice System 9-10 (1999), available at erception/perceptions.pdf

Gallagher Law Library, May 2011, Example W ASH. S TATE S UPREME C OURT, T ASK F ORCE ON E QUAL J USTICE F UNDING, T HE W ASHINGTON S TATE C IVIL L EGAL N EEDS S TUDY (2003), available at askforce/CivilLegalNeeds.pdf askforce/CivilLegalNeeds.pdf

Gallagher Law Library, May 2011, Direct Citations to Internet When document is not also available in print Format by analogy with print – article looks like article, report looks like book Omit “available at” » R

Gallagher Law Library, May 2011, Forthcoming Articles and Working Papers (SSRN) Cass R. Sunstein, Clear Statement Principles and National Security: Hamdan and Beyond, 2006 S UP. C T. R EV. (forthcoming 2007), available at Note that SSRN may include drafts that are not the final published version.

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