Thus we need to be able to limit a search more precisely than just with an AND operator. If we entered the search: “legal approaches” AND malpractice in a full-text database, we would probably retrieve many articles that mentioned the words legal and malpractice in separate parts of the articles, but which did not really deal with the relationship between the two terms in any way. For example, let's say we were looking for articles on legal approaches to malpractice. When used in a full-text database, the AND logical operator often does not limit searches with enough precision since it finds any records in which the different combined search terms appear anywhere within the same record. Using the OR logical operator basically broadens a search, the AND operator is the primary method discussed so far for narrowing a search. Such additional precision is especially important when searching the full-text of articles or other records in full-text databases. Sometimes, however, some additional procedures are needed for more precise and focused searches. The use of logical or Boolean operators, AND and OR, are the key elements needed to develop a search strategy for most research endeavors. Footnotes in LexisNexis will also provide direct links to legal documents related to the subject of research. In LexisNexis, for example, at the end of a legal journal article on medical malpractice, there is a list of “Legal Topics” provided for further searching, including “Law Actions Against Healthcare Workers.” Using the search language of the database should yield more thorough and positive results. Using a database’s thesaurus or list of subject headings can save many wasted hours of search time. Databases have nuanced subject headings and keywords. Most databases and scholarly search engines do not respond to full sentences, questions, or other attempts to use large quantities of natural language. Thus, spending some time getting to know the strategies for advanced searching in almost any database will prove useful as you navigate the often endless sea of available information. Being able to quickly access primary and secondary source material, as well as compelling support for arguments, is a skill of successful scholars. Being a strong researcher will serve you well in all facets of your education and professional life.
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