Remember that LexisNexis® is a "literal" search engine that searches for your search terms in the full text of the documents in the source(s) you select. The LexisNexis search engine uses Boolean search logic (terms + connectors and wildcard characters) to find documents matching your search strategy.
Full-Text Search Capability
- The default search format (in Power Search on www.nexis.com, and “terms and connectors” searching on www.lexis.com) will search for your search terms anywhere they may appear in a document. All fields (segments) of the document will be searched simultaneously, unless you choose to narrow your search to a specific “segment” of the document. [See Segment Searching in the Advanced Search Techniques section]
example: new york times and anthrax w/10 vaccine
will search for “new york times” and “anthrax w/10 vaccine” anywhere they may appear in a document, so you may find articles on the anthrax vaccine in the New York Times, but you may also find other articles from other publications that mention both the New York Times and the anthrax vaccine
Literal Search Engine
- LexisNexis will look for exact matches of your search terms (i.e. whatever word or phrase you enter – quotation marks around phrases are not necessary) in the text of the documents you are searching. Regular plurals (those formed by adding s, es, or ies) will be searched automatically, but variations of words will not be searched unless you use a wildcard, or universal character to indicate that variations should be searched. LexisNexis has also built into its search engine an extensive list of “equivalents,” or words that will automatically be searched as alternatives to the term you have entered.
example: vaccine
will search vaccine and vaccines automatically – if, instead, you enter vaccine! LexisNexis will search for mentions of vaccine, vaccines, vaccinate, vaccinated, vaccinating, vaccination, etc…
example: u.s. and first
will search for mentions of U.S. or US or United States and first or 1st as equivalent.
Boolean, or Terms & Connectors, Searching
Connectors are words that establish logical relationships between words and concepts. Use connectors when using the Boolean (Power Search on www.nexis.com or Terms & Connectors searching on www.lexis.com) method of searching. The LexisNexis search engine does not look for the connectors themselves as search terms, just the actual search words. You can use multiple connectors in one search request. Click here to see a list of the Basic search connectors and to see a description of how LexisNexis reads multiple connectors in one search.
Wildcard characters allow for variations of words or spellings of words to be searched. Use wildcard characters to find multiple variations of a word, or to search for alternate spellings of a word. Click here for a list of available wildcard characters, with examples of how they may be used.
If you are new to Boolean searching, you may wish to refer to the following “5 Easy Pieces” worksheet, which will guide you through constructing a proper Boolean search when you have a topic or issue in mind.