Research & Development Programs

The research and development programs at the Institute will constitute the vibrant hub of the operation. Every faculty member (regardless of employment status) will have an on-going research agenda to explore and discover new information regarding some aspect of natural resources management. The Institute will serve as an important “brain's trust” to Ethiopia and it will serve as a potential location for faculty sabbaticals from universities around the world. The Yeha Institute will ultimately evolve into a leading Natural Resources Management training and research system. The Institute will be designed and operated by selecting from the best practices in the world. The Institute will develop partnerships around the globe and will serve as a living laboratory and classroom for Ethiopia and the whole of Eastern Africa .

 

Research Methodology

The Institute offers the following outline as one possible approach to legal research. Depending on your knowledge or experience in an area, you may or may not need to complete all of the steps listed below. Most students will benefit, however, by starting their research with an examination of secondary resources before proceeding to primary sources. If you need help at any time in using particular sources, identifying search terms, or formulating queries, please do not hesitate to ask for assistance at either reference desk. In addition, detailed descriptions of various sources and research approaches can be found in several books. The following titles were used in developing this outline and are available in Reference.

1. Food and Fiber
2. Energy
3. Water
4. Environmental Science
5. Health
6. Human and Enviromental development throught enterprenership and inovation

I. Preliminary analysis: Analyze facts and frame the question
A. Objectives:

1. Learn jargon.
2. Learn and locate basic statutes and cases.
3. Identify issues which may be answered
4. readily through research.
5. Identify issues which need analysis after research.

B. Identify factual elements:

1. What is the THING involved?
2.  Who are the PERSONS involved?
3.  What is the PLACE involved?

For the factual elements, list all the words that might describe the particular fact from the most general to the most specific. These will help you both in constructing searches in books and online sources and in determining later what the important factual elements are. For example, a store may be described as property, private property, and private commercial property.
C. Identify legal elements :

1. What is the being sought?
2.  What is the PROCEDURE required?
3.  What are the LEGAL THEORIES?

II. Evaluate research

1. What questions have already been answered?
2. What legal theories need to be modified or redirected? What new legal theories have been identified requiring additional research?
3.  What facts appear to be the crucial facts supporting the developing legal theories? Which descriptions of your facts from general to specific trigger the applicable law?
4.  What is the core legal theory that is developing from the facts and legal theories?

III. Locate primary authority
A. Objectives:

1. Locate controlling or mandatory authority in the form of case law, statutory law or regulatory law.
2. Locate court opinions construing mandatory statutes or regulations.
3. Locate persuasive authority in the absence of clear mandatory authority.

B. Sources:

1. Secondary sources should have identified for you cases, statues and regulations.
2. Annotated codes: use index or online sources to find statutes and consult annotations to locate cases, references to regulations, and secondary sources.
3. Cases: use digests and descriptive word index or known topic and key number. Also online sources.

IV. Reevaluate research

1. What questions have already been answered?
2.  What legal theories need to be modified or redirected?