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KeyPoints Federal
A Legal Research Newsletter for Federal Government from West
April 2008

Advanced Search Tip
Putting Your Eggs in One Basket

Needing documents from two or more publications doesn't mean having to run two or more searches. Westlaw provides several ways to search multiple publications at once.
Choose a multibase
Westlaw offers many multibases, i.e., large databases made up of smaller ones. Try a Natural Language search in the Journals and Law Reviews (JLR) database, which contains law reviews and CLE materials, to retrieve a core group of documents highly relevant to your topic. See the Westlaw Directory for additional multibases.
Search several databases simultaneously
Select applicable databases for your research. Then type the database identifiers separated by commas in the Search These Databases text box in the left frame of a tabbed page that allows you to search all the databases simultaneously and click Go. A Search page is displayed.*
Use a tabbed page
Many tabbed pages, including all state pages, provide a list of commonly used databases. For easy searching of multiple databases, select the check boxes for the materials you would like to search.
* If you enter an identifier for a database that cannot be searched simultaneously with others, an error message is displayed.