Terms:
Although these terms may have different nuances, they can (but do not necessarily) mean roughly the same thing as “treaty”: accord, act, agreement, arrangement, charter, compact, convention, covenant, declaration, engagement, instrument, memorandum of understanding, pact, protocol, provision, regulation, statute, and understanding.
General Treaty Research Steps:
1. Identify and find the full text of the relevant treaty.
Key questions to help you pick a source from those listed below: Do you have a citation? Do you know how many parties there are? Who are the parties? Was there a sponsoring entity? What is the subject matter? When and where was it negotiated and signed? What is the name by which it is commonly called?
2. Determine the status of the treaty.
Key questions include: Is the treaty in force (now in effect and binding)? Which countries ratified it? Have any countries withdrawn? Are there are reservations, understandings, and declarations that indicate the meaning of the treaty for a particular country or exclude certain provisions of the treaty, making them inapplicable to that country?
3. Interpret the treaty.
For guidance, see the following:
Handbook on Good Treaty Practice by 
The Oxford Guide to Treaties by 
Treaty Interpretation by 
