Using Search Operators and Boolean Connectors in Your Search
When you enter multiple search terms, VitalLaw will automatically recognize a
space between terms as an 'AND'.
The search operators allow you to type a search expression using advanced search capabilities without an advanced search screen. Operators, including STATE:, TITLE:, and DOCTYPE:, can be used in combinations with the Boolean connectors AND, OR, NOT. These operators indicate the relationships between an operator and search terms in the search expression. To use an operator, simply type your search expression using an Operator before the terms in your search expression.
Note: Use ( ) when using search operators and proximity
connectors.
Example: Title: (world W/5 Charts)
Search Operators you can use in VitalLaw (along with search examples)
Author:
Placing the Author: operator before terms retrieves
documents authored by person or persons.
Example: Author: "Steven Mark Levy"
Doctype:
Placing the Doctype: operator before terms retrieves documents that are of a
particular doc type. Examples of available document
type operators are: Cases, Regulations,
and Treatises. View the complete list of available document type
operators available
here.
Examples: Doctype: Cases and Title: (SEC v. W. J. Howey)
State: or ST:
Placing the State: operator before terms retrieves documents that
contain state meta data.
Examples: State: California, State: Illinois.
Title:
Use the Title: operator to retrieve documents that contain the search terms in
the document title only.
Example: Title: (blue sky) and hardship exemption
Also, use the Title: operator to search for Parties within case documents.
Example: Title: (Microsoft or Apple) and Doctype: cases and hardship
Boolean Connectors you can use in VitalLaw (along with search examples):
AND
Placing the word and between terms retrieves
documents that contain both of the terms. By default, the system inserts the
and connector between terms. Therefore, entering
court appeals is the same as entering court and appeals.
However, VitalLaw recognizes Editorially curated 'terms of art', so sometimes a space between terms is ignored, and instead terms separated by a space are searched as an exact phrase. For example, if you type FCPA enforcement as your search expression, that phrase is a recognized 'term of art' on some VitalLaw dashboards so that your results will include documents that contain the exact phrase FCPA enforcement (as well as synonyms if applicable).
OR
Placing the word or between terms retrieves
documents that contain either or both of
the terms. This is useful when entering synonyms, terms with identical or
similar meanings.
For example, if you type child or dependent as your search expression, your results will include documents that contain child or dependent individual of each other. But your results will also include documents that contain both child and dependent.
NOT
Placing the word not between terms retrieves
documents that contain the first term only if the second term does not appear.
This connector is useful when your keyword often appears in a context that is
irrelevant to your research.
For example, if you want to find documents concerning RICO litigation, the
search expression RICO not Puerto excludes documents in which RICO occurs as a part of Puerto Rico.
Note: Partial matches will not work with the
NOT boolean connector. For example, searching
rico not puert will return results that include
puerto rico. However, searching rico not puerto will return
results that include only rico, e.g.,
the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.
Hyphen
Placing a hyphen(-) before a term will return search results
that do not include that term.
Example: deed -revocation
Quoted Search Terms
Place quotes around a search expression to return search results that include
that phrase, without synonym expansion using the thesaurus.
Example: "intervening rights"
Searching with Parentheses
Use parentheses to enforce a logical order in your search expression.
Example: Title: (director not proxy) and stock incentive
Proximity Connectors you can use in VitalLaw (along with search examples):
F/n
Placing f/n between terms retrieves documents in which the
first term follows the second term by no more than a specified number of words
(where n equals the number of words within which the first term must
follow the second term).
Example: If you type trust f/2 revoc as your
search expression, your results will include documents containing both the
words trust and revoc in which the word
trust follows the word revoc by no more than two words (n =
2 in the example).
P/n
Placing p/n between terms retrieves documents in which the
first term precedes the second term by no more than a specified number of
words (where n equals the number of words within which the first term
must precede the second term).
Example: If you type revoc p/2 trust as your
search expression, your results will include documents containing both the
words revoc and trust in which the word
revoc precedes the word trust by no more than two words (n =
2 in the example).
W/n
Placing w/n between your search expression terms retrieves
documents in which the first term appears within the specified number of words
as the second term (where n equals the number of words
between terms).
Example: If you type revoc w/25 trust as
your search expression, your results will include documents that contain the
words revoc and trust only when they appear
within 25 words of each other.
Note: The value of n cannot exceed
127 words.
W/sen
Placing w/sen between your search terms is equal to entering
w/20 and retrieves documents in which the first term appears
within 20 words of the second term.
Note: Sentence boundaries will not be considered.
W/par
Placing w/par between your search terms is equal to entering
w/80 and retrieves documents in which the first term appears
within 80 words of the second term.
Note: Paragraph boundaries will not be considered.
Date-Related Search Operators you can use in VitalLaw (along with search examples):
After a Date
Placing after followed by a specific date will
return search results with materials dated after the specified date.
Example: after 1/25/2007
Before a Date
Placing before followed by a specific date will
return search results that include materials dated before the specified
date.
Example: before January 25, 2008
From Date to Date
Using From date and
To date as part of your search expression will
return search results that include materials within a range of those dates.
Example: "rule 144" from 1/25/2007 to 1/24/2008
On a Date
Placing on followed by a specific date will return
search results that include materials on a specific date.
Example: Doctype: no action letters on Dec 10 2012
You may also search within a specific month
Example: Doctype: no action letters on Dec 2012