7/26/2023 0 Comments Boolean search method![]() ![]() OR - expands search results When used between two words, OR means that the results may contain either or both words. Use connectors to show the way you expect your search terms to appear in relevant documents. for truncation / alternate endings, e.g., discrim! = discrimination ![]() The root expander is the exclamation point (!). Use these characters to account for variant spellings and endings. R = Root Expander (& Universal Character / Wild-Card) Think about: (Exact) Synonyms, e.g., car, automobile child, minor, Boolean search is a searching method created in the 19th century, by George Boole, an English mathematician, that allows you to blend words and phrases by using AND, OR, and NOT operators to make your search broader or more limited and generate more defined results. Look for words that legal writers are reasonably likely to use in place of the key terms you’ve identified. Any specific or distinctive word, phrase, name or number may be a search term, e.g., 401K, IBM, “Ford Pinto”, negligence, landlord, ERISA, etc., etc.Ī = Alternatives - Identify Alternatives to Key Terms A mnemonic is TARC:Ī term is: a word in the issue statement that is important for or essential to describing the facts of the problem or issue raised, or the legal theory involved. The next 4 steps turn the issue statement into a search. This should be the specific question you are trying to answer. Primary materials, such as cases or statutes (for authoritative statements of the law)?.Legal encyclopedias (for quick overviews)?.Scholarly articles (for in-depth discussions)?.Treatises or practice guides (for context, background)?.What type of materials do I want to search?.What words (jargon, terms of art) are used in this area of law?.What does the client or supervisor need? Specific documents? A quick answer? A thorough brief?.Am I familiar with it, or do I need to get some background?. ![]()
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