How to Get Started

 

Anyone is welcome to contribute and edit content in the IMPOWR Research Database. The volunteers who assume the greatest responsibility for drafting initial content are known as “Contributing Editors.” We are always looking for Contributing Editors with expertise and knowledge of laws in countries where English is not an official language and/or the laws are not readily accessible online.

 Here’s how to become a Contributing Editor:

  1. Please fill out our Contributing Editor volunteer form.  When we receive your expression of interest, we will contact you to discuss an appropriate assignment and timeframe for completion.
  2. New Contributing Editors should view the Contributing Editor Training PowerPoint, found under the Research Database tab on our website to get started with your work. The Database Training Manual will assist new Contributing Editors with technical questions about how to enter information into the IMPOWR database. Additionally, IMPOWR’s Research Committee has put together an IMPOWR Research Guide in order to ensure continuity in the methods of research and inputting of content into the IMPOWR database. Furthermore, we have linked a number of online resources that current Contributing Editors find especially useful to our website under the Research Resources tab and our Research Tools link. Additional links posted by our Contributing Editors themselves can be found in the Latest Discussions portion of our website.

We also encourage experts in the fields found in our topics matrix to provide updates and oversight of the content posted by Contributing Editors in order to keep it up-to-date, relevant and accurate.

Here’s how to register to submit new content or edit existing content:

  1. Register for a user account under the Login tab on our website. Select “Create New Account” and enter a username and a valid email address in order to register. All emails from the system will be sent to this address. The email address is not made public and will only be used if you wish receive a new password or wish to receive certain notifications by email. You will receive your temporary password by email.
  2. Once you have received confirmation of your registration with IMPOWR, you should view our Database Training Manual, which will answer questions regarding how to input data into the IMPOWR database. We also recommend that you look over the IMPOWR Research Guide, Resources tab, and Research Tools portions of our website, which will assist you with locating reliable resources for your research. Additional links to useful resources can be found within the Forums section of our website, where they are posted by other volunteers and Contributing Editors.

 

Helpful Hints:

If you are new to international legal research it is often difficult to figure out which country or topic you want to begin researching. If you find yourself in this position, there are a number of questions that you can ask yourself to help you narrow the focus of your research:

  1. Which countries do you have experience living, working and/or traveling in?
  2. Which languages can you read/write/ speak?
  3. Is there a culture and/or country that you have always wanted to explore?
  4. Within which topic areas do you have research and/or work experience?
  5. Is there a particular topical area within which you would like to strengthen your knowledge?