Using Lexis/Nexis Academic
- General Search Tips
- Finding Legal Materials
- Downloading & Printing
General Search Tips
You can use connectors and universal characters to make your search more precise. Connectors (AND, OR, W/P, etc.) establish the logical relationship between your search terms. You do not use connectors if you are searching for a phrase (first aid, tax free). With practice you will be able to use multiple connectors in one search request to narrow and refine your request.
| Connector | Examples & Explanation |
|---|---|
| and | example: bank and deregulate finds both terms anywhere in the same document |
| or | example: doctor or physician finds either term anywhere in the same document; use for synonyms, alternate expressions, acronyms, etc. |
| w/p | example: rule w/p sanction finds the search terms in the same paragraph |
| w/s | example: sanction w/s frivolous finds search terms in the same sentence |
| w/n | example: william w/3 clinton finds search terms near each other; use a number from 1 to 255 for the letter n; use to link first and last names, allowing for middle names and initials |
| pre/n | example: 397 pre/6 254 finds search terms near each other in the order specified; use for searching case citations, allowing for various abbreviations |
| no connector used | example: first aid finds the word first next to the word aid |
Universal characters, sometimes referred to as wildcards, allow you to use a shortcut when searching for terms that have multiple endings (spill, spilling, spilled) or vary in spelling by one letter (man, men).
| Universal Character |
Examples & Explanation |
|---|---|
| * (asterisk) |
example: wom*n finds both the terms woman and women; replaces one character, can appear more than once in a word and can be used anywhere EXCEPT as the first character |
| ! (exclamation mark) |
example: negligen! finds negligent, negligently, or negligence; replaces one or more characters at the end of a word; works best for terms with unique roots |
Finding Court Cases
If you know the
name(s) or citation:
1. Use Legal Research and the Get a Case file.
| Party Name | example: overton
park v. volpe You can enter only the unique names; not the entire case name. |
| Citation | example: 397
U.S. 254 The page number MUST BE the starting page for the case and the abbreviation must include punctuation. |
If you are searching
by subject:
1. Use Legal Research and the Federal Case Law or State
Case Law file and the More Options menu. Enter
search terms.
| Full Text | example: civil contempt w/15 custody or
detain! or detention Review the General Search Tips section if you do not understand how to use connectors. |
2. Select the type of search.
| Full Text | Use this option to search only the text segment of documents. |
You can also search by citation or party name.
3. Select the dates to be searched.
Select from the predefined date ranges in the pop-up list. If you want to use
your own date range, most date formats are supported (examples: 07/24/97, Jul
24, 1997, 07/97, July, 1997, 1997).
4. Chose the court.
If you do not know which court, use the Abbreviations
for U.S. Legal Materials table to help you identify the proper file to search.
Finding Law Reviews
Review the General Search Tips if you do not know how to use connectors.
1. Use Legal Research and the Law Reviews file and More
Options menu. Format your search.
Follow the formats below to restrict your search to the author, full text, and/or
journal. Use the pop-up window to select "Author" or "Full Text."
To search a specific publication use the "Search this publication(s) title"
box.
| Author | example: michael w/3 asimow finds all articles written by Michael Asimow |
|
Full Text |
example: california! and administrative
procedure act finds articles that have the words California or California's and the phrase Administrative Procedure Act |
| publication | example: tulsa law journal finds all articles in the Tulsa Law Journal |
Use connectors to combine information about the author, full text or journal.
example: michael w/3 asimow in Author and california! and administrative
procedure act in Full Text and tulsa law journal [Search this publication title(s)]
2. Select the dates to be searched.
Select from the predefined date ranges in the pop-up list. If you want to use
your own date range, most date formats are supported (examples: 07/24/97, Jul
24, 1997, 07/97, July, 1997, 1997).
Downloading & Printing
Downloading if you have a browser at home (Netscape, MS Explorer):
Save as "HTML Files" type. Be sure to include the .html extension if you rename
the file.
Downloading if you do not have a browser:
Change the file type to "Plain Text." You will be able to read the text using
a word processing application (Word, WordPerfect, etc.) The formatting will
be different and graphics will be missing.
Printing from Library workstations:
The Library supports printing at .10 a page. You will need to activate your
AztecCard or purchase a Library Guest Copy Card.
