Effective Database Searching

Created by Elizabeth Farrell, Florida State University College of LawLicensed under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 License.

Effective Database Searching

• Search Methods:–Terms & Connectors (Boolean) searching–Natural Language searching

• How to decide which method to use.

• How to design an effective search.

Natural Language

• “Plain English” style search, similar to a google search

• Enter in keywords, phrases, sentences or questions

• Limited number of results (100-250)• Results ranked by relevancy

• Not an excuse for sloppy/lazy searches!

Terms & Connectors

• Also known as “Boolean” searching• Uses connectors like OR, AND, NOT

between search terms• Can specify:–mandatory terms– alternate terms– terms to exclude– terms in specific parts of the document– terms appearing X times– terms within a certain proximity of other terms

2 Ways to Think About Terms & Connectors

• Algebra–Remember functions like this? (a + b) x (c –

d)

(dog OR cat OR animal) AND (bite OR attack)

• Venn Diagrams

intent AND slander OR libel OR defame

Which to Choose

• Natural Language– Unfamiliar with the issue’s key terms &

vocabulary– You don’t need an exhaustive list of sources– Need a starting point for research

• Terms & Connectors– Familiar with the issue’s key terms & vocabulary– You want to check all potentially relevant results– Essential for pre-emption checks!

Super Searchers Prefer Terms & Connectors

• High level of search precision

• High confidence in search results

• Lots of control over search input

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ResponseWare

Web Address: http://www.rwpoll.com/Session ID: XXXX

After this class, I will be a pro at terms & connectors searching.

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1. True2. False

Designing an Effective Search – Step by Step

• Step 1: Gather Enough Information• Step 2: Frame and Articulate the Issue• Step 3: Determine Key Search Terms• Step 4: Add Alternate Terms• Step 5: Determine Relationships between

Terms• Step 6: Use Fields/Segments to Add

Precision• Step 7: Use Advanced Boolean Features

Step 1: Gather Enough Information

• What are you trying to find?–Jurisdiction–Types of materials

• Is a database search the best option?

Step 1: Gather Enough Information

Scenario: Your client is opening a restaurant and asks for your firm’s assistance in making sure he complies with all the necessary laws. What possible areas of law might this include?

Step 2: Frame and Articulate the Issue

Consider…

• The information as if you were briefing a case

• Searching the opposite side of the issue

• Imagining how the ideal document might discuss the issue

Step 2: Frame and Articulate the Issue

Scenario: In the spring, while at a book signing event in Minneapolis, Newt Gingrich was unsuspectingly “glitter bombed” by an individual who attended the event. The NY Times and the ABA Journal have recently run stories stating that Mr. Gingrich believe this type of protest is illegal and the Prosecutor in Minneapolis is feeling the pressure to look into charging the protestor. You’ve been tasked with researching the whether charges can be brought.

Step 3: Determine Key Search Terms

A well-framed issue will usually make the key search terms easy to see.

Example:• Can glitter bombing be a “touch” for a

battery claim?• Was there a reliance on a

misrepresentation of the facts?

Step 3: Determine Key Search Terms

• Good search terms…–Carry meaning –Are essential to the issue

• Be cautious of…–Superfluous or incidental terms–Alternate phrasing

Is name-calling alone sufficient to create a hostile work environment under the

Americans with Disabilities Act?

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1. name-calling2. alone3. sufficient4. create5. Hostile work

environment6. Americans with

Disabilities Act

Can a Florida homeowner’s association restrict its members from installing satellite dishes or HAM radio

antennas on their home or on their property?

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1. Florida2. Homeowner’s association3. restrict4. member5. install6. Satellite dish7. HAM radio antenna8. home9. property

Step 4: Add Alternate Terms

• Synonyms are critical to good searches

damag! or destroy! or total! w/10 car or automobile or vehicle

• Antonyms can also be helpful

admit! or admiss! or inadmiss! or relevan! or irrelevan! w/5 evidence

Is it ethical for a Florida attorney to outsource some paralegal duties to an overseas

provider?

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0% 0% 0% 0%0%0%0%0%

1. ethical2. Florida3. attorney4. outsource5. paralegal6. duties7. overseas8. provider

Designing an Effective Search – Step by Step

• Step 1: Gather Enough Information• Step 2: Frame and Articulate the Issue• Step 3: Determine Key Search Terms• Step 4: Add Alternate Terms• Step 5: Determine Relationships between

Terms• Step 6: Use Fields/Segments to Add

Precision• Step 7: Use Advanced Boolean Features

Step 5: Determine Relationships between Terms

The purpose of connectors is to show the desired relationships between terms.

Examples:•fraud AND insurance•tax! w/3 income•damages w/25 negligen!•res judicata

Issue: school prayerSelect the best search:

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25% 25%25%25%1. “school prayer”2. school AND pray!3. school W/5 pray!4. school OR pray!

Issue: Good Samaritan DefenseSelect the best search:

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25% 25%25%25%1. “good samaritan” W/S defense

2. good AND samaritan AND defense

3. “good samaritan defense”

4. good OR samaritan AND defense

Issue: Evidence obtained from a sniffer dogSelect the best search:

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25% 25%25%25%1. evidence AND sniff! OR smell OR scent w/20 dog OR canine

2. evidence w/20 sniff! OR smell OR scent AND dog OR canine

3. evidence w/20 sniffer dog

4. evidence AND dog OR canine

Scenario:

You represent a family with a baby daughter, Jane, in a malpractice suit. During her birth, Jane contracted an infection. Jane exhibited symptoms of infection, but the attending physicians failed to diagnose and treat the infection. A routine course of antibiotics would have cured the infection, but instead the infection worsened and left Jane with severely diminished eyesight.

Step 6: Use Fields/Segments to Add Precision

Online documents are divided up into searchable segments (or fields). Users can specify where within a document a term should appear.

judges(o'connor) and court(eighth circuit) and drugs or narcotics

Find opinions authored by Chief Judge Linda Ann Wells of the Third DCA

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33% 33%33%

1. judge wells AND third DCA

2. ju(wells) AND ci(third district)

3. ju(wells) & pr(third)

Step 7: Use Advanced Boolean Features

Specify… • Singular/plural word forms• Upper/lowercase characters• Number of times a word/phrase

appears• Terms to exclude

Questions?