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Terms & Connectors

A guide to Boolean search commands in Westlaw, Lexis+, Bloomberg Law & More

Overview

The Terms & Connectors search method allows you to enter a query that includes key terms relating to your issue and connectors specifying the relationship between those terms. This narrows the search, allowing for more accurate search results. Proper use of terms and connectors can narrow search results from 1,000 hits to 10. This will increase the number of relevant results while limiting the frustration of informational overload.

For example, you can use:

  • AND to require all terms to appear in the results (e.g., contract AND breach).
  • OR to include either term (e.g., attorney OR lawyer).
  • NOT to exclude terms (e.g., negligence NOT criminal).
  • /s to find terms within the same sentence (e.g., liability /s negligence).
  • /p to find terms within the same paragraph (e.g., damages /p punitive).

Each database (Westlaw, Lexis+, Bloomberg Law, etc.) has unique terms and connectors. Make sure to review the specific rules for the database you are using to ensure accurate searches.

Using terms and connectors effectively can save you significant time and improve the precision of your legal research. Practicing with sample queries and testing different connectors will help you become more comfortable with this method.

For detailed instructions and examples, refer to the database-specific tabs at left or the overview document below.