Source Database Instructions

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Source Database Search Fields

The Source Database enables users to search the database of nineteenth century New Zealand legal archives and some surrounding material. The database is comprised of seven searchable fields including:

Source Title: the name of the source as listed on the catalogue of the repository that holds the source.

Year: the year of publication or the year(s) that the document covers.

Place of Origin: the place that the source was published or the location that the source was created.

Repository: the New Zealand institution that holds the source.

Reference Number: the reference number that has been allocated by the repository that holds the source.

Summary of Contents: if available, this field includes a brief summary of what the source covers or what is included in the file.

File Classification: indicates whether a source is open for access by the public or is subject to [??] iction by the repository that holds the source.

Source Type: This field groups sources by record type and enables users to browse by source type. There are ten general categories: Court Documents; Court Minute Book; Court Register; Judges' Notebook; Law Firm Records; Newspaper; Official Correspondence; Private Records; Reported Cases; Other.

Source Database Search Instructions

Keyword Search - use the keyword search to search the entire source record, this includes all seven fields. For example by using the term ‘murder’, the database will search all fields for the use of the term ‘murder.

Search by Title keyword - enables the user to search sources by title keyword. For example by using the name ‘Chapman’, the database will search for all source titles that include the name ‘Chapman’.

Search by year - enables the user to search sources by year of publication or the time period that a source covers. For example by entering ‘1840-1850’, the database will search for all documents that cover or were printed in the time period specified.

Search by repository - enables the user to search the repository where a particular source is held. For example, by selecting ‘Canterbury Museum’, the database will bring up all sources located at the museum.

Combined search - this enables the user to search by combining a number of search fields. For example by typing “Court of Appeal” in the Title Keyword box and selecting “Archives New Zealand, Wellington” in the repositories box, the database will bring up all Court of Appeal records held by the Wellington branch of Archives New Zealand.