Research Help > Guides > Westlaw + LexisNexis

Westlaw Campus + LexisNexis: Quick Guide

Westlaw Campus | LexisNexis | Off-Campus Access

  • These connectors and techniques are for use ONLY in the Terms & Connectors (Advanced Search) mode of Westlaw Campus and the Guided Search mode of LexisNexis.

  • Or, use Westlaw Campus's Natural Language (Quick Search) option for simple searches - no need to use the following connectors.

Search Rules
AND Proximity
OR Field searching
NOT Other techniques
Phrases Single document
Wildcards
AND
  • Westlaw Campus uses & - but and will also work
    example: doctor & malpractice

  • LexisNexis uses and
    example: doctor and malpractice

table of contents

OR
  • Westlaw Campus uses a space (though you may type or if you like)
    example: lawyer attorney

  • LexisNexis uses or
    example: lawyer or attorney

table of contents

NOT
  • Westlaw Campus uses % (you can also type but not)
    example: rico % puerto
    example: rico but not Puerto

  • LexisNexis uses: and not
    example: rico and not puerto

table of contents

Phrases
  • Westlaw Campus uses quotes
    example: "jury nullification"

  • Note: If you don't use quotes, Westlaw treats the space as an or
    example: jury nullification = jury or nullification

  • LexisNexis automatically treats phrases as phrases

table of contents

Wildcards - ! and *
  • Westlaw Campus and LexisNexis use the same wildcards
    example: run! finds run, runner, running, etc.
    example: wom*n finds woman or women

table of contents

Proximity
  • search for words near each other for better results

  • Westlaw Campus uses

    • /n "n" is a number value
    • +n first term must precede the second
    • /p same paragraph
    • /s same sentence

      example: copyright /4 infringement
      example:habitat +2 humanity

  • LexisNexis uses

    • w/n "n" is a number value
    • pre/n first term must precede the second
    • w/p same paragraph
    • w/s same sentence

      example: copyright w/4 infringement
      example: habitat pre/2 humanity

table of contents

Field Searching
  • Westlaw Campus uses

    • au author
      example: au(jeffrey /3 abramson)

    • ti title of document or title of case
      example: ti("caller-id" & priva!)
      example: ti(bush /5 gore)

    • jur jurisdiction
      Note: When searching for ALR annotations discussing a particular case,
      use the jurisdictions field rather than the title field
      example: jur(bush /5 gore)

    • so source
      example: so("harvard law review")

    • ca caption or heading of a law or regulation
      example: ca("equal rights")
    • at attorney
      example: at(f.lee /3 bailey)

    • ju judges (main opinion)
      example: ju(scalia)

    • sy synopsis
      example: sy(rehnquist)

  • LexisNexis uses drop down menus

table of contents

Other techniques
  • frequency searching
    • LexisNexis uses atleast(n)
      example: atleast5(computer security)
      finds documents where "computer security" appears at least 5 times -- more relevant to your research

    • Westlaw Campus does not have a comparable technique
      • Instead, try limiting some of your terms to the title field:
        example: ti(flag) & (burn! or desecrat!) & constitution! & "free speech"

  • natural language
    • Westlaw Campus offers"Natural Language" searching
      • use a plain English description of your topic to find documents that are ranked by how closely they match the concepts in your description:
        example: is flag burning constitutionally protected free speech

table of contents

Retrieving a single document
  • use these fill-in-the-blanks options for simple searches
    • Westlaw Campus: Find a Document
    • Lexis Nexis: Get a Case

  • use the more advanced searching options shown above to qualify your search:
    • Westlaw
      example: ti(bush /5 gore) & sy(Rehnquist)

table of contents

This page was last modified on: Oct 30, 2007