For thorough and complete international legal research, a bibliography can be a very useful tool and sometimes is even required. A good bibliography is useful to generate a good understanding of a legal topic or case, and will eventually help you to structure your road map for approaching your research problem. It’s a means of proving that your research came from reputable sources. This usually includes legal scholars, academics, historians, scientists and the like.
Bibliographies are now rarely compiled as standalone publications, except as sections included at the end of books. The advent of digital tools such as Zotero, EndNote, and Mendeley has enabled researchers and students to generate bibliographies and reading lists quickly and efficiently from online databases and library catalogues. As a result, the manual compilation of bibliographies has largely disappeared, except in a limited number of specialized academic contexts. As an exception to this general trend, the Peace Palace Library still continues to compile a number of bibliographies:
- Centre for Studies and Research in International Law and International Relations of The Hague Academy of International Law
- Grotius bibliographies (2022-...)
- Grotiana: a Journal published under the auspices of the Grotiana Foundation (2010-2021)
- ICCA Yearbook Commercial Arbitration
- Leiden Journal of International Law