Doctrinal research (Seminar-I, LAW5506) studies the law in the books. Non-doctrinal research studies law in action: how rules actually work in society. It is empirical — built on data collected from the world — and socio-legal: it reads law together with society, using tools from social science.
| Point | Doctrinal | Non-doctrinal |
|---|---|---|
| Source of truth | Texts: statutes, cases | Field: people, records, behaviour |
| Question type | What is the rule? | Does the rule work? For whom? |
| Method | Analysis, interpretation | Survey, interview, observation |
| Output | Doctrine, commentary | Findings, evaluation, recommendations |
| Skill | Reading law closely | Designing and measuring |