Researching International Human Rights Law

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Researching international human rights law can be a confusing mess of treaties and documents. The materials (for the most part) are not set out in a coherent, well organized fashion. The sources of information range from recognized treaty law to more ephemeral materials from non-governmental organizations. There are a few things to keep in mind when doing human rights research:

• the interdisciplinary nature of the topic
• the complexity of the topic and the materials
• the difficulty in locating and accessing materials issued by a variety of organizations.

The researcher needs to be resourceful, creative, and never become daunted by the task. Just when you are ready to give up is when you might find the needed material.

This guide was prepared by Marci Hoffman, International and Foreign Law Librarian, UC Berkeley Law Library, revised January 2008.