Perform a Basic Search

When performing research in Nexis®, you can perform either a basic search or a power search. A basic search lets you search across multiple content types with a fairly simple search query. It generally finds a wide collection of results, which you can then refine using post-search filters. It's a good search to use when you simply don't know where to start. A power search provides several additional options to help you fine-tune your search. (See Perform a Power Search for instructions on completing this type of search.)

Watch the following video for a quick demonstration of how to perform a basic search, and then follow the instructions below:

To complete a basic search:

1. At the Nexis home page, choose the Search > Home tab.
2. In the search box, enter the terms or phrases on which you want to search. As you type, the Search Assistant may display an auto-complete list of options to complete your search. Types of suggestions might include sources, company names, or smart index terms.

   Note: If Search Assistant results are not used, the search includes all articles that mention the search terms, even if they only appear once.

3. Either enter your own search terms or choose from the list of options available.
4. Optionally, click the Date or Content Types drop-down lists to choose some additional filtering options. (For example, if you want to search in just News over the last 3 years).
5. Optionally, use the Recents & Favorites link below the search box to access any previously used or saved sources from this list.
6. To include multiple search terms and define the relationship between these terms, use About Search Connectors. To search for an exact phrase, use quotes around the term.
7. Click the search button to complete your search.

Once your search is complete, you can view and work with your results. See About Search Results Lists.