6 Research Log Assignment
After a couple of weeks of searching for and finding information for the client scenario, you probably will have collected a few types of sources and learned some foundational information about the legal issues. At this point, you will need to start organizing and documenting your research.
In your first-year legal research and writing course, your professor might have provided you with a research log to fill out for a project. Perhaps that worked well for you, or perhaps you had different ideas about how to record research results and organize your sources.
Purpose of Research Log Assignment
The goal of this project is for you to develop a research log that will be useful and practical for your academic and professional lives. We do this project early in the semester so you can use it to record and organize results going forward. In previous semesters students have commented that they started using the log/chart/instrument they developed in this class for their jobs or internships and found it very helpful. A few samples are available for inspiration. Mostly it’s important for you to develop a log or chart or checklist that works for you so that you have some way to track and organize your results. Also, think about the possibility that a supervisor or colleague might ask to see what you have found so far, so your log/chart/instrument/checklist should be understandable to someone who wants to consult your research results.
Instructions for Creating the Log
Create a chart, checklist, or other document that you will use to record and organize research process and results. After you create the Log form, you will record the research you have completed already, and you will continue to use it for the remainder of the semester. You can develop something completely new or modify a log format that worked well for you in your first-year legal research and writing course.
Research Log Samples
In the following section you will find samples of research logs that students have created. You are invited to use those for inspiration and/or add your own to the collection of samples.
Sample Log 1.worddocument Sample Log 2.worddocument Sample Log 3.worddocument Sample Log 4.worddocument
Contribute a sample research log form (file uploads restricted to University of Oregon students and faculty only)
Contribute a description of a research log or instrument (for contributors outside of the University of Oregon)