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LexisNexis State Capital provides the full-text of state statutes, laws, constitutions, proposed and enacted regulations, and bills.
LexisNexis State Capital differs from LexisNexis Academic in that it allows you to search across all 50 states in a single search for:
Outlined below is a two step strategy to help you search the database more effectively and efficiently.
Step #1.
Define your topic in the form of a question or statement, for example, What
are the requirements for reporting child abuse?. Then, separate the question
into specific logical components or concepts:
| CONCEPT 1: child abuse |
CONCEPT 2: |
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Step #2.
Choose keywords that describe your concepts. Using the appropriate terminology
is important, in that it enables you to hit upon citations about your topic
rather than unrelated items using words which are too common. Try to incorporate
as many synonyms as possible.
Using the example in step #1, write down all keywords that describe the concepts, for example:
| CONCEPT 1: child abuse |
CONCEPT 2: reporting requirements |
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| child abuse child neglect child protective services child welfare |
reporting |
Consider methods for focusing your topic, either with additional terms, with specific sources types (bills, statutes, regulations, etc.), with a specific state, or with a specific publication year or time frame. Because there are no subject headings in LexisNexis State Capital , it is best to be precise and unambiguous in your search terms.
1. Select one of the 6 search categories on the Main Menu.
| Bills - search full text of bills in all 50 states |
| Statutes - search statutory codes for 50 states; find state constitutions |
| Regulations - search proposed/enacted regulations; search state administrative codes |
| Issues - search publications for state issues, policy reports, legislative activities |
| Members - search state legislative directories |
| List of Links - browse links to state legislatures' home pages and some organizations' web sites |
2. Select one of the subcategories from the main search categories (e.g. NCSL LegisBriefs, in Issues) and complete the Search Form.
| CONNECTORS: to link concepts or establish relationships between search terms. | |
| OR | e.g. child or infant retrieves documents with either or both terms |
| W/n | child w/2 support retrieves documents with child within two
words of support (in any order), n=number 1-255 |
| W/s | child w/s abuse retrieves documents with terms in same sentence in any order |
| W/p | custodial w/p parent retrieves documents with terms in same paragraph |
| AND | welfare and reform retrieves documents containing both terms |
| PRE/n | child pre/2 welfare retrieves documents where child must precede welfare within 2 words |
| TRUNCATION: to find variant endings or multiple spellings | |
| ! (replaces one or more characters) | custod!=custody, custodial, etc. |
| * (replaces one character) | wom*n=woman, women |
| PARENTHESES: to specify the order in which the system looks for search terms | (child or infant) and (abuse or neglect) |
| FREQUENCY: to attach importance or emphasis to designated terms by specifying the number of times term(s) should appear | atleast5 (special and needs and children) |
| DATE: to limit a search to a particular date or range of dates | |
| use pull-down menu | previous week, month, six months, etc. |
| use from: to: fields | from: 10/24/99 to: 10/24/02 from: 7/4/00 to: from: to: 3/15/02 |
| CAPITALIZATION: to search for upper case word forms | allcaps (AIDS) |
3. Click the "Search" button.
4. Review the "Document List" where the most relevant documents satisfying your search parameters appear first. The results can be sorted by date, too.
6. Use the "Print" button to display your citation for printing. (Remember to display the full document before printing.) Click on the "Display document" button when you are ready to print. Use the Print button on your web browser to send the document to your printer. Click on the "Email" button to send the document to your e-mail account.
7. Use the "Return to Full" link at the top of the screen to return to the record you just printed or emailed.
8. Click on the "Document List" tab to redisplay your search results.
9. Multiple documents may be selected for printing or emailing by clicking in the box next to a particular citation on the "Document List" screen.
10. Click on the "Edit Search" link and at the search form screen, use the index frame on the left side of the screen to choose a different search category (e.g. Regulations).
11. To exit LexisNexis State Capital, click on the "Home" button of your web browser.
Use the "Search the full text of bills by keyword" search form, typing in the key terms and limiting to the state in you are interested. If you know the bill number, use the "Retrieve the full text of a bill by bill number" search form. You will undoubtly find multiple versions of a bill (bill as introducted, as amended, and as enrolled).
Use the "Search bill tracking reports by keyword" search form. The tracking reports include a summary and a chronology of pending bills in a session.
Use the "Retrieve state administrative codes by citation search" form or the "Search administrative codes by keyword" search form to find the current regulation. To find proposed regulations, use the "Search proposed regulations by keyword" search form.
This
database is restricted to validated U-M students, staff and faculty.
Created by: Karen Reiman-Sendi; Converted by Jamie Nielsen 9/22/07
Content last updated on: 14 April 2005
Social Work Library | (734) 764-5169 | social.work.library@umich.edu
B700 School of Social Work Building, 1080 S. University, Ann Arbor MI 48109-1106
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© The Regents of the University of Michigan, 2008.
