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Westlaw Campus Research

Results & Searches

Results Page

After conducting your search, an overview of the results is displayed on the results page. On the left panel, you'll see various content categories that identify the number of results within each category. The center panel provides an overview of the documents available within each category. Click on the desired category to review the full list of results.

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Sorting the Results List

Results are ranked by relevance by default. To change this ranking, select an option from the Sort by dropdown menu at the top of the center column. You can sort by most cited, relevance, and table of contents. 

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Customizing the Results Display

You have the ability to choose the level of detail presented within the results. Please note that the level of detail varies by document type. Click on the Details icon featured below to change this setting. 

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Once you have identified the appropriate content category, you have the ability to refine, or narrow down, your results. The left panel provides the following filters dependent on content category chosen: 

  • Search within results - This allows you to conduct another search within the list of results. 
  • Jurisdiction - Select your desired jurisdiction. If you have already selected this option prior to searching, you will not need to narrow down by this option. 
  • Date - Select from preset options or customize your date range
  • Reported Status - This option appears when searching for cases and allows you to narrow down by reported (published within a state or federal reporter) or unreported (not published within a state or federal reporter) case opinions.
  • Topic - Select the practice area relevant to your legal information need.
  • Judge, Attorney, or Law Firm - These options allow you to narrow down by specific judge, attorney, or law firm when searching for cases, administrative decisions, or briefs. 
  • Form Type - When searching for statutes, secondary sources, or court rules, you have the option to narrow down by text forms, checklists, or clauses. 
  • Agency - When searching for administrative decisions & guidance, you can narrow down by federal agency. 
  • Publication Type/Publication Name - These filters appear when searching within Secondary Sources. 
  • Key Number - The West Key Number System® is the database's classification system of U.S. law. This allows you to narrow down to a specific classification of the law. Click on the key number to drill down by subcategory. Select 'Add' to narrow down by the specified category.

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Reviewing Search Histories

Clicking on History at the upper-right corner provides a list of the most recent five documents viewed and searches conducted. Clicking on 'View All' will direct you to the complete list of documents viewed or searches conducted within a session. Clicking on a link will direct you back to the selected document or search results.  Note: The history is available until the end of the research session. 

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