LexisNexis

LexisNexis is a web-based, full-text news and information service, which provides access to over 5,900 news, business, legal, medical, and reference publications.

Getting Started
From the library's webpage http://library.mwcc.edu click on Databases and after choosing the appropriate on-campus or off-campus access, click on LexisNexis in the Alphabetical List. (Remember, off-campus access requires a valid library barcode number)

Quick or Basic Search
Quick or Basic searches are sometimes available for current news, company information, laws, regulations, reference book entries, or directory listings. On the first line, enter a relevant term, for example a topic or company name. If a second line is provided, enter another relevant term. You can usually set a date range.

Guided Search
Guided searches are available for some areas of the LexisNexis database and allow specific searching of more material. The forms vary, but generally first pick a news category and a news source, and then enter terms to be found in headline, full text, or other sections of the record. Then, specify a date range. Online help is available by clicking the Tips link in the upper right corner.

Searching

News
For quick access to two years of English-language news stories, type your term in Quick News Search box. Results are ranked by relevance. For the full news collection, including transcripts, non-English publications, university, U.S. and world news mid-1980's to present, use Guided News Search tab instead.

Legal Research
For quick access to federal or state court cases use the Get a Case option to enter a citation or case name, for example, 410 U.S. 113 in the citation box or Roe v. Wade in the party name box. For more search options, click the Legal Research link (upper left corner) and choose from legal news and law reviews, case law, codes, regulations, and directories of lawyers and law schools.

Business
For quick access to company information, enter the name of a public or private company in the Company Information box. For more data, click the Business link (upper left corner) and choose from categories like industry and accounting periodicals; company financial data like SEC filings and annual reports; and trade show directories.

Medical
Select the Medical link (upper left corner) and choose abstracts from the Medline index, medical news or journals.

Reference
Click the Reference link (upper left corner) and choose brief biographies, polls and surveys, country and state profiles, quotations, or the World Almanac.

Locating a Known Source
If you already know the name of the publication that is covered in LexisNexis, click Sources in the black toolbar, top right. Type the periodical name or click on its first letter and locate it on the list. Click Search This Title. At the search form, leave News Category and News Source alone and enter words from the article title, and dates. Please Note: Some articles may not be available full-text.

Search Tips

• To find all words with the same root, use "!" as a truncator.
  Example: for acquired, acquisition, etc. type: acqui!
  
• Broaden your search by using "or" between words, to find articles with either term.
  Example: internet or web
  
• If your topic has two aspects, use one of these connectors:
  - and: Find articles with both words.
  - w/1, w/2, w/3: In Quick searches, find first word within 1, 2 or 3 words of second. (In Guided searches, up to w/255).
  - w/s, w/p: Find first word within the same sentence (s) or paragraph (p) as the second word.
  - and not: Exclude the second word.
  Example: basketball and not college

Viewing Search Results
Search results are displayed in a document list. Click the title to view full text or use tabs at the top of the page to move between Document List (citations only), Expanded List (citations with a few words surrounding search terms), KWIC ("key word in context," citation with a sentence or so of the text surrounding search terms) and Full formats. Move through full records using the Next and Previous buttons, just above the top of the record on the right.

Printing, Emailing or Downloading Articles
Printing or downloading a document

1. Display document in full-text
2. Click Print on the bar at the top
3. Click Display Document to redisplay in a print/save friendly format. Then:

Print: Select the Print button at the top of your browser window. Note: In the MWCC Library, printing requires a copy card and costs $.10 per page. Printouts are sent to the printer on the main floor of the Library.

Or

Download: Insert a formatted disk in the a: drive. Click File on the browser bar, and select Save as. Under Save in, select the a: drive, giving the file a name, and ending the filename with the extension .txt

Emailing a document
1. Display document in full-text
2. Click Email on the bar at the top of the screen and enter any email address

Printing, emailing or downloading multiple article citations
At Document List, select desired citations by clicking boxes in left margin and then click Print or Email and follow on-screen instructions.

If you need assistance, please ask at the Reference desk, call us at: (978) 630-9338 or,
email us at: library@mwcc.mass.edu

Mt. Wachusett Community College Library
updated 7/14/04