Finding Proper Names

Follow the guidelines below to obtain the best results when you are searching for a proper name within Nexis®:

(first name OR first initial W/3 surname)

To find documents referring to David Jones, use this search:

(dav! OR d W/3 jones)

Note: This method ensures comprehensive results and includes variations such as David L. Jones, David Jones, Dave L. Jones, Dave Jones, D. Jones, D. L. Jones, David Lloyd Jones, Jones, David L., Dave Lloyd Jones, Jones, Dave L. and Jones, D. L.

Some names searched using this pattern will yield irrelevant references in the search results. When this happens, you may add additional search terms to decrease the likelihood of irrelevant results. For example, if David Jones is a rugby player, you could use this search:

dav! OR d W/3 jones W/3 rugby

  • The order of surname and first name may differ. For example, to find documents that contain R Smith and Smith, R, use a proximity connector like W/n.

    smith W/2 r

  • The presentation of multiple initials may differ. For example:

    rj smith

    would find RJ Smith but not R.J. Smith (with full stops) or R J Smith (with spaces). To find all possibilities, use an OR connector:

    (rj OR r j OR r.j W/3 smith)

    Note: The product interprets the full stops in initials as blank spaces.

  • A name may be given with or without middle initials.

    To find articles by Raymond Smith, Raymond J. Smith and Raymond J. A. Smith, use a proximity connector like W/n:

    (raymond W/3 smith)

  • To account for all the possible combinations of name presentation, we recommend a combination of techniques. To find all of the above examples, you could use:

    (smith W/3 ray! OR r)

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