material. However, even though the information was often put online with the best intentions, the user was often left without means to evaluate the reliability of the material offered. Inaccuracies were possible when the electronic data were transcriptions of an originally printed source. The ubiquitous use of disclaimers for accuracy of the material published was therefore understandable This has changed considerably. Documents are now increasingly being published by the authors themselves: Legislation can be drawn directly from parliamentary or governmental sites, case reports are published by the courts, suggestions and reports for law reform by the proposing body, minutes and memoranda by the organisers of conferences and meetings. This authenticity ensures a very high degree of accuracy. For this reason, it is now increasingly acceptable to cite from an electronic source (notwiths tanding the specific problems of how to cite a web document correctly). The electronic nature of the publication does, however, have another important drawback for academic research: Data can be removed from the Web just as easily as they have been put onto it, they can be altered or they can be moved to a new location It is, therefore, by no means certain that material once found can be retrieved and /or checked at a later date. For research, this means that it is essential not only to bookmark an interesting site but often advisable to download or print relevant material before it is taken off the Web again 3.4 Up-to-dateness Printed information -except for newspapers-is often outdated especially hen comparative work is concerned with ongoing deve lopments and reform processes. The convenience of Internet publishing has, however, also made publications more timely and up to date. The time-span between writing and accessing material has theoretically diminished to minutes compared to the months that used to pass from giving a draft to the publisher, the printing process and, especially when foreign publishers were involved, delivering the printed material abroad. This applies as much to legislative information on parliamentary sites as to court reporting. The House of Lords, e.g., prides itself in publishing a judgment online usually within two hours of delivery. With perishable data, it is important that data are accurate not only at the time when it is posted onto the net, but also at the time when it is accessed. As one is aware of the fact that many users rely on the correctness of the material published, most official sites are constantly being updated. The date of the most recent publication or update canmaterial. However, even though the information was often put online with the best intentions, the user was often left without means to evaluate the reliability of the material offered. Inaccuracies were possible when the electronic data were transcriptions of an originally printed source. The ubiquitous use of disclaimers for accuracy of the material published was therefore understandable. This has changed considerably. Documents are now increasingly being published by the authors themselves: Legislation can be drawn directly from parliamentary or governmental sites, case reports are published by the courts, suggestions and reports for law reform by the proposing body, minutes and memoranda by the organisers of conferences and meetings. This authenticity ensures a very high degree of accuracy. For this reason, it is now increasingly acceptable to cite from an electronic source (notwithstanding the specific problems of how to cite(21) a web document correctly). The electronic nature of the publication does, however, have another important drawback for academic research: Data can be removed from the Web just as easily as they have been put onto it, they can be altered or they can be moved to a new location. It is, therefore, by no means certain that material once found can be retrieved and/or checked at a later date. For research, this means that it is essential not only to bookmark an interesting site but often advisable to download or print relevant material before it is taken off the Web again. 3.4 Up-to-dateness Printed information - except for newspapers - is often outdated especially when comparative work is concerned with ongoing developments and reform processes. The convenience of Internet publishing has, however, also made publications more timely and up to date. The time-span between writing and accessing material has theoretically diminished to minutes compared to the months that used to pass from giving a draft to the publisher, the printing process and, especially when foreign publishers were involved, delivering the printed material abroad. This applies as much to legislative information on parliamentary sites as to court reporting. The House of Lords(22) , e.g., prides itself in publishing a judgment online usually within two hours of delivery. With 'perishable' data, it is important that data are accurate not only at the time when it is posted onto the net, but also at the time when it is accessed. As one is aware of the fact that many users rely on the correctness of the material published, most official sites are constantly being updated. The date of the most recent publication or update can