Too much of a good thing (March 20, 2012)
By Michael Saint-Onge
At lexis.com®, there is a limit of 3,000 results from one’s search query. There are three different options for the researcher:
- If your patron truly needs a comprehensive list of all results that fit the search criteria, you can break the answer set into chunks of time using date restrictors. The second option under “restrict by date” allows you to set specific periods of time, as long or as short as necessary to retrieve fewer than 3,000 results.
- You always have the option of further refining your search by adding additional search terms. Don’t forget the “Suggest Terms for my Search” link next to the search box, which provides alternative terms that might be helpful. You can also further restrict by segments—a list of which are available in the pull-down menu under “Restrict by Document Segment.”
- If your patron is not looking for a comprehensive list, but rather the most relevant results, you now have the option of switching from Boolean searching to natural language searching. This will automatically return the 1,000 most relevant results from your search, without having to further refine your search.
Regardless of the method you use, LexisNexis® helps you get the information you need! One of the many advantages of Lexis Advance™, however, is that there is no 3,000 limit to search results. If you’d like to see the power of the Lexis Advance service, please contact your LexisNexis® Librarian Relations Consultant.
