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Database Tutorials

This LibGuide contains step by step instructions for majority of research databases available in the Wolfgram collection.

Nexis Uni

Nexis Uni features more than 15,000 news, business and legal sources, including U.S. Supreme Court decisions dating back to 1790.

Types of Sources include:

  • Federal and State Cases
  • Federal and State Legislation
  • Articles from Regional, National and International Newspapers and Sources
  • Articles from Law Reviews and Journals
  • Company Profiles

Navigate to the Nexis Uni Database

Library Home Page ► A to Z Database List ► Nexis Uni
 

NOTE: To access this and other subscription databases from off campus, you will be asked to enter your Widener username and password.

Setting up the Search

Initial Search Screen

The Nexis Uni initial screen with the Guided search options in a red box.

  • The initial search box is very broad.
  • Use the options in the Guided Search box instead. This allows you to specify:
    • News
    • A Publication
    • Cases
    • Law Reviews
    • Company Info
    • Country Info

Types of Searches

By selecting cases, you can search for State, Federal and Supreme Court cases.  The results will identify what court decided the case.

EX: Lawrence v. Texas

  • Select Cases and then Federal Cases and the enter the search terms "Lawrence v. Texas" (make sure the parties names are in quotation marks.
  • Then click on Search.

The Guided seach screen with a red boxes highlighting Cases and Federal cases. A red box also surronds the Search in all Cases for and the box underneath includes "Lawarence v. Texas"

Results

  • The search produced over 800 cases with these party names.

Results showing threecases with a red box highlighting the words describing the types of courts and dates and a red box highlighting the Preview link

Features of the Brief Record:

  • The brief record for each case shows the court where the case was decided and the date, an Overview and some text with the search terms highlighted.
  • These results list cases from the -- Supreme Court of the U.S., U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit and  U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit .

Preview:

  • Click on the preview link for #1 - Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 to obtain a snapshot of this case's full document without leaving the search:

 

The Preview of the Supreme Court Case Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558

Features of the Preview:

The preview provides the most important information about this Supreme Court Case including the dates argued and decided, parties, decision and links to other related cases.

Full Case Document:

  • Click on the title of #1 - Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 to obtain the full case document, which lists cases that influenced the case, with links to the previous cases as well as the full arguments.  The Case Document also offers options for downloading, printing and sharing.

Ex: LGBT and Rights

  • Select Cases and then Federal Cases and the enter the search terms "LGBT and Rights."
  • Then click on Search.

 

The Guided seach screen with a red boxes highlighting Cases and Federal cases. A red box also surronds the Search in all Cases for and the box underneath includes LGBT and Rights

 

  • Then select Timeline

Results

Results showing three cases with a red box highlighting the words describing the types of courts and dates and a red box highlighting the Timeline of 2000 - 2022.

  • The search produced over 700 cases with these keywords.
  • Again, the brief record for each case shows the court where the case was decided and the date, an Overview and some text with the search terms highlighted.
  • When you click Timeline it opens the timeline display, which shows that there were federal court cases based on these terms from 2000 - 2022. This range can be adjusted.
  • When you change the terms slightly, you will also obtain a different timeline.
  • Ex: By searching for LGBTQ and Rights you obtain over 400 cases that range from 2008 - 2022.

Nexis Uni provides useful coverage about legislation from a variety of general and legal news sources.

  • Still using Guided Search, select News and then enter the terms "Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019" (Always use quotation marks cor a title of legislation.
  • Then select search.

Guided Search with red boxes around the word News and in Search the News for the legislation "Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019"

  • Then select Publication Type.

Results:

Results from news serch for legislation with a red box highlightinf the Publication Type.

Features of the Brief Record:

  • The brief record for each news article provides information about the article and some text with the search terms highlighted.
  • When you select publication type, you see the variety of print and web pased sources that include article about this legislation, including:
  • The search produced 903 results published in a variety of print and web media publication types, including:
    • Newswires and Press Releases
    • Statistics
    • Web Based Publications
    • Blogs
    • Newspapers
    • More
       
  • Click on one of these publication types to narrow further. Ex: Limiting to Newspapers results in 32 articles from news sources across the country.

Preview:

  • Click on the preview link for #1 -Key NO on the Bipartisan Act of 2019 to obtain a snapshot of this article's full document without leaving the search:

Preview of the artilce Key NO vote on the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019

Features of the Preview:

The preview provides the most important information about this article including the date of publication and source.

Full Case Document:

  • Click on the title of #1 -Key NO on the Bipartisan Act of 2019 to obtain the full article.  The Case Document also offers options for downloading, printing and sharing.

 

  • Still using Guided Search, select Company Info and then enter the Company Amazon. In the ..and show me box, click on the drop-down menu and select All company Information.
  • Then select search.

Guided search box with red square around Company Info, Search in all company Information for Amazon and in the ...and show me box the term All company information is selected

  • Then select Category

 

Results:

Results for Amazon search, with red boxes highlighteing the category of each article and the a red box around the category limit option

  • The search produced over 10,000 results, which makes sense for this large multinational company.  This number demonstrates the breath of company information available in this database for this company.
  • The three results show articles presenting company profiles from December 1, 2022 and September 15, 2020 and SEC Filings from September 29, 2009,
  • When you click on Category, you can limit to:
    • Company Profiles
    • SEC Filings
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Analyst Reports
  • Narrow by clicking on the various options in the Narrow by boxes on the left side and adding more terms in the Search Within Results box.