LibGuides: Terms & Connectors: Casetext

Home

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.

Terms & Connectors Overview

Westlaw

Terms & Connectors - Westlaw

OPERATOR	EXAMPLE	DESCRIPTION
!	object!	Search for words with multiple endings
*	jur*r	Search for words with variable characters
/p	hearsay /p utterance	The search terms must appear in the same paragraph
+p	ti(burke +p burke)	The first search term must precede the second term in the same paragraph
/s	design /s defect	Search terms must appear in the same sentence
+s	attorney +s fee	The first search term must precede the second term in the same sentence
/n	personal /3 jurisdiction	Search terms must appear within n terms of each other, where n is a number from 1 to 255
+n	elena +2 kagan	The first search term must precede the second term by n terms, where n is a number from 1 to 255
AND (&)	narcotics & warrant	Retrieve documents containing two or more search terms anywhere in the document
OR (space)	attorney lawyer counsel	Search for alternative terms
BUT NOT (%)	“multiple chemical sensitivity” % to(413)	Exclude documents that contain certain terms
atleastx	atleast5(malpractice)	Search term must appear in the results at least x number of times

Lexis+

Terms & Connectors - Lexis+

OPERATOR	EXAMPLE	DESCRIPTION
and	budget and deficit	Finds words that are far apart from one another or in different sections
atleastx	atleast10(cercla)	Requires that a term or terms appear "at least" x times in a document
or, (space)	ship or vessel or boat	Finds documents that contain either or both of the words or phrases linked by or
and not	capital and not gains	Finds documents in which a search word or phrase is to be excluded
w/n, near/n, /n	vicious w/3 dog	Finds documents in which the first word appears within "n" words of the second one
pre/n, onear/n	overtime pre/3 compensation	Finds documents in which the first word precedes the second by not more than "n" words
w/para	retirement w/para benefit	Finds documents with search words that appear within the same paragraph, or within approximately 50 words of each other
w/sent	earnings w/sent taxation	Finds documents with search words that appear within the same sentence, or within approximately 15 words of each other
w/seg	unreported w/seg income	Finds documents in which your search terms appear in the same segment (headline, body, etc.), or within approximately 100 words of each other
!, *	employ!	Finds a root word plus all the words made by adding letters to the end of it
?	wom?n	Finds variations of a word by replacing characters anywhere in the word, except the first character

Bloomberg Law

Terms & Connectors - Bloomberg Law

OPERATOR	EXAMPLE	DESCRIPTION
(space)	securities fraud knowledge	Terms entered in the Keywords field without an operator will interpret them joined by AND
AND	change and "res judicata"	Returns results that contain both search terms/phrases.
OR	default or foreclosure	Returns results that contain at least one of the search terms/phrases.
NOT, AND NOT, BUT NOT	collateral not estoppel	Returns results that do not contain the identified term/phrase.
“ “	standard and "expedited proceeding"	Returns results that contain an exact phrase.
^ “ “	^"arm"	Returns case sensitive results that contain an exact phrase.
( )	trade secrets and (discovery or acquisition)	Used to nest multi-part searches and control the order in which search operations are performed.
*	Fact*	Returns recognized terms that match any single character in the middle or at the end of a word.
!	fact!	Returns recognized terms that match any number of characters in the middle or end of a word.
N/x, /x, W/x	(motion n/3 approve) n/5 collateral	Returns results that contain search terms within a specified range of a term, regardless of the order in which the terms appear.
NP/x, PRE/x, +x	transcript np/5 clerk	Returns results that contain search terms within a specified range of a term in a specified order.
S/, /S, /SENT	motion s/ denied	Returns results that contain search terms within the same sentence.
P/, /P, /PARA	respondent p/ answer	Returns results that contain search terms within the same paragraph.
ATLx, ATLEASTx	atl5(forum shopping)	Returns results with at least a specified number of occurrences of a search term/phrase.
ATMx	atm5(fraud)	Returns results with at most a specified number of occurrences of a search term/phrase.

Fastcase

Terms & Connectors - Fastcase

OPERATOR	EXAMPLE	DESCRIPTION
AND, &, (space)	copyright AND preemption	Results must contain both the words “copyright” and “preemption”
OR	landlord OR lessor	Results must contain either the word “landlord” or the word “lessor.” (They may contain both words.)
NOT	vehicle NOT car	Results must contain the word “vehicle” but must not contain the word “car.”
w/3, /3	capital w/3 punishment	Results must contain the word “capital” within 3 words of the word “punishment.” You must specify a number for how far apart the terms may be found.
*	litig*	Results must contain some variation of the stem “litig” such as litigation, litigated, litigator, etc.
?	advis?r	The ? works as a single letter wildcard. Results must contain some variation of the word advis_r, such as adviser or advisor.
“ “	“felony murder”	Results must contain the precise phrase “felony murder.”
()	(security OR pledge) AND assignment	Parentheses are used to define the order of operations when you use multiple Boolean operators.

Terms & Connectors