This document provides an overview of how to use the LexisNexis database available through the University of the Western Cape library. It describes the three main search methods of using the table of contents, general text search, or advanced search. Advanced searches allow limiting to case law, legislation, or government gazettes. Search results can be filtered by document type. Boolean operators like AND and OR can refine searches. Saved search results and notes are stored in user folders. The legal citator tool identifies relationships between cases and legislation through signals like positive or negative treatment.

1. University of the Western Cape
Introduction to Basic Skills -My LexisNexis

2. Learning Outcomes
At the end of this lesson you should be able to:
• Access the LexisNexis database.
• Conduct a search using the Table of Contents, General Text Search and Advanced Search.
• Use keywords and Boolean Operators to compile a search string to search for relevant material.
• Search for law reports related to their research questions or topics.
• Identify the components of a case citation.
• Manage and store materials found.
• Use the advanced search option.
• Access, use and apply the Legal Citator.

3. My LexisNexis
• Offers full text, South African, legal and commercial information for students
and lecturers.
• Users can access major law reference works, indexes, law reports, individual
acts, statutes, practitioners manuals and textbooks.
• Subjects include labour law, financial planning and markets, income tax
(includes Silke on South African Income Tax), intellectual property, payroll,
pension funds, taxation of employees and VAT.

4. Access to the Library’s e-Resources from Off-Campus
 The EZproxy system will ask you to identify yourself as a UWC student.
 It will ask you for a username and password i.e. student number and ID number for South Africans.
 Foreign students can use their date of birth as a password. Date of birth starting with the year, then month and lastly day.
 If your month or day is a single digit, you must add a 0 in front e.g. January = 0

5. How to Access the My LexisNexis database
Go to the library’s homepage by using the URL - http://lib.uwc.ac.za/ . Click on the Databases tab in the
middle of the page. You can either select A-Z Databases or Databases by Discipline.

6. Click on the A-Z Databases and select “M” for “My
LexisNexis”

7. On the left hand side you will see “My LexisNexis.” Select
the off-campus login link.

8. You have to sign in to get access to this database.

9. Using LexisNexis
There are three ways to search the content:
1. By searching the Table of Contents on the left hand side of the screen;
2. Using the General Text Search field at the top of the screen;
3. Using the Advanced Search and Citator to conduct an Advanced, Law Report, Legislation and Gazettes Search.
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10. Table of Contents (TOC)
The table of contents, located on the left of the screen contains all the resources that we subscribed to in a condensed alphabetical list.
The TOC has several useful features that will assist you when using other functions on the site.
Clicking on the red Table of Contents button in the middle of the screen will either collapse or expand the Table of contents.
You can also increase the width of the TOC by dragging its associated scrollbar horizontally across the screen.

11. In the Table of Content you can either select the Research Areas or the Content
Types. In the Research Areas the content is group together as per subject.

12. Four types of searches under Advanced Search:
1. All Content – search across everything
2. Cases – specific case search
3. Legislation – specific Acts search
4. Gazettes Online – specific Government Gazette
search

13. Searching the Table of Content
 When you use the Table of Content Search field you are able to limit
your search to particular publications.
 In the TOC you will find Legislation, Gazettes, Cases, Commentary,
Journals, etc.
 Commentary is where you will find eBooks.

14. Using the General Text Search field at the top of the screen.
Click on All Content and select Case Law and put in your keywords in the Search
Query Box.

15. You can also make use of the “Boolean” operators. Boolean operators are the words "AND",
"OR" and "NOT". When used in library databases (typed between your keywords) they can
make each search more precise - and save you time!

16. Four research results displayed for the keywords “domestic
violence” AND “children” with regard to case law.

17. If you do a search by using All Content, you can change your results by changing
the Document Type on the left hand side.

18. Publication details will be displayed for Referencing purposes.

19. You can also Save the document to one of your folders or you can
download or print the document.

20. When you highlight a keyword, you can make a Note, colour the highlighted area,
do a search and you can get a definition. The Notes will be saved in your Notes
folder.

21. You can download the document to your computer

22. You can also save the document to one of the folders
that you have created or you can print the document.

23. On the right hand side under Folders, you can create a
folder.

24. Remember! Example of Case:

25. Legal Citator
The Legal Citator is a research tool pertaining to case law which identifies references
between cases and references by cases to legislation, rules and regulations
To access the
Legal Citator

26. Signal analysis and interpretation
Green for positive (indicating that a case has been received strong positive
analysis by another court)
Blue for neutral (indicating that the case has been referenced by another
court, but that the reference was neither positive or negative)
White for no references (indicates that the case has not been referenced)
Yellow for cautionary (the case may not be correct in its interpretation)
Red for negative (indicating that a case has been received strong negative
analysis by another court).
Black for conflict analysis – judgement has been analyzed in a contradictory
way by 2/more courts.

27. Judgment Analysis Page in Legal Citator
• Judgment details provides you with a summary of specific aspect of the case,
the dates of hearing and judgment, bench (the number of judges and whether
there was a minority decision), the identities of the parties and the
representatives appearing for the parties, the division and jurisdiction of the
court hearing the matter.
• Subject Index indicates the subject matter the court dealt with.
• Judgment History allows you to see if a case has been taken on appeal and
what the result was. It also allows you to see if there was more than one
appeal and so gives you the entire appellate history.
• Judgment Treatment is a list of all the cases that were heard after this case
and that have discussed the case in their judgments. Each of these cases will
have a signal next to them, indicating what their treatment of the current case
was.

28. Faculty Librarian
Grace Van Niekerk
gvanniekerk@uwc.ac.za
Thank you