1. All three systems default to a natural language search if connectors are not included between terms, but all will also permit terms and connectors searching.
2. In Bloomberg Law, the conjunction connectors (AND, OR, NOT) should be capitalized but other connectors don't have to be. In Lexis, proximity connectors utilizing a number (w/3, pre/5) should always be in lower case. The table below shows connectors in lower case except for when all caps must be used for the connector to work properly.
3. In Bloomberg, a space between terms is interpreted as an AND connector. In Westlaw it is interpreted as an OR connector. In Lexis, how a space is interpreted depends on the other connectors that are present in the search. To be on the safe side, it is best to type out the AND/OR connectors and to enclose phrases in quotes in all three systems, that way you don't have to remember the variations.
4. When you enter the singular form of a noun, Lexis and Westlaw automatically search for the singular, plural, and possessive forms of that term (e.g., crime - Lexis and Westlaw also look for crimes). Bloomberg Law will search for plurals and variations in ending only when a search operator is not present (e.g. a search for settle will also search for settled or settlements but a search for settle AND amount will not).
5. If you want to run a terms and connectors search using only the AND/OR connectors in Westlaw, start your search with advanced: (e.g., advanced: trademark AND infringement).
6. In Lexis, the w/s connector is converted to w/25 and the w/p connector is converted to w/75.
| Description |  |
 |
 |
Examples |
| both terms must be present | AND | and & |
and |
trademark AND infringement |
| either term must be present | OR | or | space or |
car OR automobile in all three systems; car automobile in Westlaw |
| terms must be in same sentence | /s s/ /sent |
/s w/s |
/s w/s |
design /s defect in all three systems |
| terms must be in same paragraph | /p p/ /para |
/p w/p |
/p w/p |
trademark /p infringement in all three systems |
| terms must be within specified number of words | /# w/# n/# |
/# |
/# w/# |
breach w/5 duty |
| terms must be within specified number of words and in the order specified | np/# pre/# +# |
pre/# |
+# | john pre/3 roberts in Bloomberg and Lexis Advance; john +3 roberts in Bloomberg or Westlaw |
| exact phrase | enclose in quotes | enclose in quotes | enclose in quotes | "res judicata" |
| exlude a term | NOT AND NOT BUT NOT |
and not % but not |
% but not |
collateral AND NOT estoppel in Bloomberg or Lexis Advance; collateral % estoppel in Westlaw |
| grouping search terms | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | (car OR automobile) /p (injury OR harm) |
| term or phrase must appear a minimum number of times | atl# atleast# |
atleast# | atleast# | atleast6(termination) |
| expand root word by any number of letters | ! | ! * |
! | liab! would find liable or liability |
| permit variation for a single character | * | ? * |
* | wom*n would find woman or women |
| plurals | automatically searches for variations only when search connectors are not used (use root expander to search for alternate endings when connector is present) | regular plurals (requiring the addition of an s) are searched automatically | plurals and possessives are searched automatically | crime would also retrieve crimes in Lexis Advance and Westlaw; in Bloomberg, settle will also search for settled or settlements but settle AND amount will not |
| hyphenated terms | hyphenated form may not retrieve all variations, use a proximity connector instead | hyphenated form may not retrieve all variations, use a proximity connector instead | hyphenated form retrieves all variations of compound words | at-will searches for atwill, at will, or at-will in Westlaw; use at pre/2 will in Bloomberg or Lexis |