Research Guides: Basic Terms & Connectors Searching: Connectors & Wildcards

Comparison Chart of Connectors and Wildcards

Connectors and Wildcards

Connectors & Wildcards Chart
Description	Bloomberg Law	Lexis	Westlaw	Examples
Both Terms MUST be present	a space between words and	and	&	BL & LX: trademark and infringement BL: trademark infringement WL: trademark & infringement
Either or both terms must be present	or	or (a space between words will be treated as an "or" only if no other connectors appear in the search)	a space between words or	car or automobile WL: car automobile
Terms must be in the same sentence	S/ /s /sent	w/sent w/s /s all of these options are read as near/25	/s w/s	design /s defect
Terms must be in the same paragraph	P/ /p /para	w/para w/p /p all of these options are read as near/75	/p	trademark /p infringement
Terms must be within x words or fewer of each other	N/x /x w/x x= a number up to 255	near/x /x x= any number	/x x= any number up to 255	trademark /50 infringement
Terms must be within x words and in the order specified	NP/x pre/x +x x= a number up to 255	pre/x x= any number	+x x= any number up to 255	LX, BL: search pre/3 arrest BL, WL: search +3 arrest
Exact phrase	enclose in quotes	enclose in quotes space between words	enclose in quotes	"res judicata"
Exclude a term (literal exclusion)	not and not but not	and not	% but not	LX, BL: collateral and not estoppel WL: collateral % estoppel Bl: collateral not estoppel
Nesting / Grouping Search Terms	Enclose in parenthesis	Enclose in parenthesis	Enclose in parenthesis	(dog and cat) or bird
Expand root word by any number of letters	!	! *	!	liab! will find liable or liability LX: liab* will find liable or liability
Permit variation for a single character	*	?	*	WL: wom*n would find woman or women LX: wom?n would find woman or women
Permit variation for multiple characters	* Use the number of * to stand for the number of characters (or fewer if at the end of the word)	? Use the number of * or ? to stand for the number of characters (or fewer if at the end of the word)	* Use the number of * to stand for the number of characters (or fewer if at the end of the word)	WL: illustrat** will find illustrate, illustrated, but not illustrating "res ipsa loquit*r" will find res ipsa loquitor or res ipsa loquitur LX: illustrat?? will find illustrate, illustrated but not illustrating. Res ipsa loquit?r will find res ipsa loquitor or res ipsa loquitur
Plurals	Does not automatically search for plurals (but you can check "include word variations")	regular plurals, possessives, and some irregular plurals are searched automatically	regular plurals, possessives, and some irregular plurals are searched automatically ** Only plurals are searched if the plural is used	LX, WL: crime will find crime or crimes WL: crimes will only search crimes LX: crimes will find crime or crimes
Hyphenated Terms / Compound Words	If a term might be hyphenated, include all possible variations.	Hyphenated form retrieves all variations.	Hyphenated form retrieves all variations	LX, Wl: at-will searches atwill, at-will, or at will BL: at-will finds at-will but not atwill or at will
Acronyms	Include all possible variations.	Include all possible variations.	Use periods and include the spelled out variation.	BL, LX: irs or i.r.s. or "internal revenue service" WL: i.r.s. or "internal revenue service"