Q UICK R EFERENCE C ARD ( WWW. LOISLAW. COM )
Connectors
Search Tips
There are five logical connectors you can use to search for two or more words in the same field. You can mix or match multiple
connectors in a search expression to make it more specific. Use either the connector word or the symbol. Do not use both.
1. Start Simple
Connector Symbol
Searches For
Examples
AND
OR
NOT
&
|
%
Both terms in the document field
Either term in the document field
First term, but no term following “NOT”
must be present in the document field
employer and harassment
automobile or vehicle
pistol not rifle
NEAR
NEARX
/
/X
modification near contract
estate near5 decedent
“x x”
“
Both terms within 20 words of each other
Both terms within a specified number
of words (x)
Two or more words as a phrase
“adverse possession”
Parentheses and Multiple Connectors
Parentheses can make your search expressions even more specific. Use them to combine similar terms or to establish the
order of priority when using multiple connectors.
Search Expression
Employ near2
(terminate or discharge)
Result
Employ will appear
“ within two words of terminate
or employ will appear within two words of discharge.
Search Expressions
Single-Word Expressions
Loislaw.com automatically retrieves most variant forms of words of more than three letters.
e.g. Murder finds murders, murdered and murderer
Asterisks
The asterisk can be used as a word expander to retrieve all possible endings of a word.
e.g. librar* finds library, libraries and librarian; 198* finds documents dated from 1980 to 1989
Question Mark
The question mark (?) can be used as a word expander to retrieve all possible forms of a word.
e.g. s?nk finds sink, sank and sunk
SM
- Loislaw.com’s Citation Checking Service
When viewing the full text of any case, statute or regulation in the Loislaw.com database, “click” the
GlobalCite button located in the lower left corner of your screen to access all Loislaw.com documents
which cite the document you are viewing.
Tips For Using Citation Numbers
SelectCite
To find a known case opinion by citation, select only the single database containing that case, choose
the SelectCite option on the Search Page, enter the citation volume and page number and "click" Run
Search. You may locate up to 5 case opinions in any given database in each SelectCite search.
When entering the official or parallel citation number, pay close attention to the spacing and internal periods.
Tip
Use a space between citation segments
Use a space after a period when it appears at the end of a citation segment
Don’t use a space when a period comes in the middle of a citation segment
Use a period to separate terms within a publication
Correct
Incorrect
317 ark. 374
317ark374
317 ark. 374
317 ark.374
877 s.w.2d 921 877 s. w. 2d 921
616 n.e.2d 464 616 ne2d 464
(Use the “near” connector to avoid many punctuation problems and variations. i.e. 317 ark. 374 = 317
near2 374. See the tutorial sections Searching for Cases and Searching for Statutes for additional assistance.)
The on-line tutorial is located on the tool bar at the top of the user’s Loislaw.com screen.
©Copyright 2000, Loislaw.com, Inc.
®
Start with just a few terms. Do not include every possible word in your search,
only the most important or unique words for your topic.
2. Be Careful with Phrases
When searching for a well-known topic like child custody, you will get better results if you
broaden your search with the NEAR operator to find all the uses of the words.
e.g. child near custody finds: the mother had custody of her child as well as child custody
3. Use NEAR for Names
Proper names are not used consistently in the law. Therefore, when looking for a person’s name
or any proper name, use the NEAR connector to find all forms of that name.
e.g. paul near2 jones finds paul d. jones and paul david jones
4. Be Broad When Searching Statutes, Codes and Regulations
Individual sections in statutes and regulations generally have only a few words, so searching
for them is a more concise process than case law.
e.g. first and murder finds the first degree murder statute
5. Use the Power of Field Searching
Loislaw.com divides a document into fields so you can find what you want quickly. Field searching
lets you use bits and pieces to get to the law. Perhaps you know that the case you are looking for
was a Supreme Court case decided in the 1980’s that dealt with tenant damages in a rental property
and a rental deposit. You would search:
e.g. “Appellate Court Field” = supreme
“Year of Opinion Field” = 198*
“Majority Opinion Text Field” = tenant? and deposit? and damage?
Refining Results
Too many documents found
Too many results usually means your search criteria are too broad. You can narrow your search by:
• Adding another term to your search expression, using the and,
Refine
not, or near connector
Your
Search
• Exchanging one or more of your search terms with new terms
• Replacing the and connector with near
• Excluding a term using the not connector
• Entering search criteria in multiple fields
Not enough documents found
If your search found too few documents, it usually means your search criteria are too narrow.
You can broaden your search by:
• Adding an * to your search expression to find variations of your
search terms
Expand
Your
Search
• Using synonyms for appropriate search terms
• Removing a search term
• Inserting the near connector between words in a phrase
Need Help?
There are three easy ways to get help.
1. Comprehensive tutorial. We strongly recommend that any new user take 20 to 30 minutes to go
through the tutorial. Loislaw.com and the tutorial can be open at the same time to speed up the
learning process. NOTE: This option is not available without version 4.x of Microsoft® Internet
Explorer with Service Pack 2 or higher or Netscape Navigator 4.05 or higher.
2. Built-in help aids. Screen Overview, FAQ and Help are available.
3. Unlimited toll-free technical support call 1-877-471-5632 or e-mail tech@loislaw.com 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week.
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QUICK REFERENCE CARD (CD-ROM - PITA98)
Search Tips
Connectors
There are five logical connectors you can use to search for two or more words in the same field.
Refer to the sample searches for suggestions on using these terms.
Connector Symbol
AND
OR
NOT
&
|
%
NEAR
/
“x x”
“
Searches For
1. Start Simple
Examples
Both terms in the document field
Either term in the document field
First term, but no term following “NOT”
must be present in the document field
Both terms within a specified number of
lines of each other such as “near2” or “near4”
(near=same paragraph)
Two or more words as a phrase
employer and harassment
automobile or vehicle
pistol not rifle
modification near contract
N
P
ESC
Book List
Saved Searches
Toggle between open
PITA windows
Next Hit
Previous Hit
Close Window
Start with just a few terms. Do not include every possible word in your search, only the most
important or unique words for your topic.
2. Be Careful with Phrases
When searching for a well-known topic like child custody, you will get better results if you broaden
your search with the NEAR operator to find all the uses of the words.
e.g. child near2 custody finds: the mother had custody of her child as well as child custody
3. Use NEAR for Names
“adverse possession”
Proper names are not used consistently in the law. Therefore, when looking for a person’s name or
any proper name, use the NEAR connector to find all forms of that name.
e.g. paul near2 jones finds paul d. jones and paul david jones
4. Be Broad When Searching Statutes, Codes and Regulations
PITA98 Keyboard Commands
F2
F4
F10
CTRL T
CTRL C
CTRL V
CTRL PGDN
CTRL PGUP
Home
End
Search for highlighted text
Copy Text
Paste Text
Next Document Found
Previous Document Found
Top of Document
End of Document
Search Expressions
Question Mark
The question mark (?) can be used as a word expander to retrieve all possible endings of a word.
e.g. librar? finds library, libraries and librarian; 198? finds documents dated from 1980 to 1989
Tips For Using Citation Numbers
Tip
Use a space between citation segments
Use a space after a period when it appears at the end of a citation segment
Don’t use a space when a period comes in the middle of“a citation segment
Use a period to separate terms within a publication
Optional period to separate the publication from the page number
Individual sections in statutes and regulations generally have only a few words, so searching for
them is a more concise process than case law.
e.g. first and murder finds the first degree murder statute
5. Use the Power of Field Searching
Loislaw.com divides a document into fields so you can find what you want quickly. Field searching
lets you use bits and pieces to get to the law. Perhaps you know that the case you are looking for
was a Supreme Court case decided in the 1980’s that dealt with tenant damages in a rental property
and a rental deposit. You would search:
e.g. “Appellate Court Field” = supreme
“Year of Opinion Field” = 198?
“Majority Opinion Text Field” = tenant? and deposit? and damage?
Refining Results
Too many documents found
When entering the official or parallel citation number, pay close attention to the spacing and internal periods.
Correct
Incorrect
317 ark. 374
317ark374
317 ark. 374
317 ark.374
877 s.w.2d 921 877 s. w. 2d 921
616 n.e.2d 464 616 ne2d 464
416 mass 20
416 mass. 20
If your search produced too many results, do not panic.
Too many results usually means your search criteria are too broad. You can narrow your
search by:
Refine
Your
Search
Need Help?
There are four easy ways to get help with your LOIS CD.
1. LOIS CD guide.
4. Unlimited toll-free technical support call 1-877-471-5632 or e-mail tech@loislaw.com 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week.
• Exchanging one or more of your search terms with new terms
• Replacing the and connector with near
• Entering search criteria in multiple fields
Not enough documents found
If your search found too few documents, it usually means your search criteria are too narrow.
You can broaden your search by:
2. Comprehensive tutorial. We strongly recommend that any new user take 20 to 30 minutes to go through
the tutorial. The LOIS CD and the tutorial can be open at the same time to speed up the learning process.
(NOTE: This option is not available without version 4.x or higher of Internet Explorer.)
3. Built-in help aids. Screen Overview, FAQ and Help are available.
• Adding another term to your search expression, using the and,
not, or near connector
• Excluding a term using the not connector
(Use the “near” connector to avoid many punctuation problems and variations. i.e. 317 ark. 374 = 317
near2 374. See the tutorial sections Searching for Cases and Searching for Statutes for additional assistance.)
The on-line tutorial is located on the tool bar at the top of the user’s Loislaw.com screen.
©Copyright 2000, Loislaw.com, Inc.
®
• Adding a ? to your search expression to find variations of your
search terms
Expand
Your
Search
• Using synonyms for appropriate search terms
• Removing a search term
• Inserting the near connector between words in a phrase
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