Transcript Terms - Westlaw

Terms
Terms
For this exercise let’s assume you want to retrieve all cases in a
database that address
A social host’s liability for injuries caused by intoxicated guests
• There is no right or wrong way to construct a search; just
proceed using common sense.
• Host, intoxicated, and guest will be the key terms for this
exercise.
• We could have chosen more terms but it’s wise to stick
with the essential terms.
Terms
host
hostess
intoxicated
drunk
alcohol
guest
•
Get into the habit of placing your key words in a
horizontal line in your mind, if not actually on paper.
•
Under each key word add any word that is a reasonable
alternative.
•
You can probably think of additional alternatives for the
exercise but right now, let’s keep this exercise simple.
Using the Thesaurus to Find Alternative Terms
Thesaurus
Intoxicated
Alternatives
The Thesaurus feature on Westlaw provides synonyms and
acronyms for the key words in your query and lets you add them
to your search. The Thesaurus does not provide antonyms and
other irregular alternatives but you can add these terms yourself.
Expanders: Making the Most of Terms:
The Root Expander (!)
• The root expander (!) retrieves all extensions of words
with variant endings (up to 16 characters).
• drunk! retrieves drunk, drunken, and drunkard.
• Be careful not to truncate your root term too severely.
depo! retrieves not only forms of deposition, but also
deposit, depositor, deposited, deport, deportation, etc.
Expanders: Making the Most of Terms:
The Universal Character (*)
• The Universal Character (*) is used in place of a letter (like
a wild card or a blank tile in Scrabble).
• dr*nk retrieves drank, drink, and drunk.
• The universal character cannot be used in place of the first
letter of a word.
• The universal character can be used at the end of a term to
specify how many letters may be added. Example:
object** would retrieve object, objects, and objected but
not objective.
Expanders: Making the Most of Terms
• More than one expander can be used in a term.
• s****holder retrieves both shareholder and stockholder.
• dr*nk! retrieves drank, drink, drinkable, drunk, drinking,
drunken, and drunkard.
Terms: Automatic Enhancements
• The singular form of a word automatically retrieves the
plural and possessive forms of the word, including
irregular forms.
• The plural or possessive, however, will not retrieve the
singular.
• Woman retrieves women, woman’s, and women’s;
women or woman’s will not retrieve woman.
Use the singular form of a word unless you have a good
reason not to.
Terms: Automatic Enhancements
• Search term 415 also retrieves 415.5, 415(b), and
415(b)(1)(A).
• 415.1 or 415(b) will not retrieve 415.
• This is helpful when you are looking for mention of a
statute that may or may not be cited as a particular
paragraph or section.
Terms: Automatic Equivalencies
• Most accepted variations of the spelling of a term will
retrieve other accepted variations:
- Judgment = Judgement
- Millennium = Millenium
• Automatic equivalencies are built into Westlaw. For
example:
- Three = 3
- New York = NY
- First = 1st
- Avenue = Ave.
Terms: Other Enhancements
• Hyphenate compound words in your search.
• A hyphenated term will retrieve the term whether it is one
word, two words, or a hyphenated word.
• good-will retrieves good will, good-will, or goodwill.
If you have any question whether a word might or might not
be hyphenated, add the hyphen. It can’t hurt.
Terms: Other Enhancements
• Use periods between the letters an acronym to retrieve all
variations of the acronym.
–
–
–
–
periods between letters
spaces between letters
periods and spaces between the letters
no period or spaces between letters
• E.P.A. retrieves E.P.A, E P A, E. P. A., and EPA.