Gaps are another area of concern. We switched from print to web-based Shepard's through Lexis almost two years ago. However, I found that the Texas Pattern Jury Charges were not covered in the web-based version as they are in the Texas Citations print (I should have tested more thoroughly originally. Still, we likely would have switched for several other reasons).
However, I was thrilled recently to see that the Texas Pattern Jury Charges have become available on the web-based version of Shepard's through Lexis. Then I ran some tests. The TPJC civil and criminal seem to be on the database only through the equivalent of the 1993 volumes of the Texas Citations main set in print. The TPJC as covered in the supplemental volumes and advance sheets are not on the database.
I emailed our extremely competent Lexis Research Consultant, Cheryl Carter, about this situation. Since Lexis was responsive to my original concern about the missing TPJCs, I feel confident that Lexis will bring the TPJC part of the Shepard's web-based system up to speed in the long run. Until then, however, I have not planned to announce the availability of the TPJCs to the researchers in our organization.
Which brings up a question I have for the list. When this type of situation occurs, do members of the list proactively warn all researchers of the gap (sending yet one more email to an overburdened group of researchers); or just hope that the researchers will not chance upon that relatively small part of the database that is incomplete, and rely upon the information, possibly to their detriment ?
Priscilla Streightoff JD, MLIS
Assistant Attorney General - Law Librarian
Office of the Attorney General, State of Texas
PO Box 12548 M/C 006
Austin, TX 78711-2548
v. 512.936.1403
f. 512.370.9105
e. priscilla.streightoff@oag.state.tx.us
Any opinions given are those of the author and are not an official statement by the Attorney General or the State of Texas.
>>> "Judy Helms" <Judy.Helms@co.travis.tx.us> 06/01/01 03:07PM >>>
I was surprised and disturbed to learn this week that a case's treatment by Shepard's on CD-ROM may differ significantly from its treatment by Lexis.com Shepard's. For example, 777 F. Supp. 445 shows a green light on the CD. The same case Shepardized on Lexis.com shows a red stop sign.
This disturbed me so much that I chose 35 cases at random and compared their treatment by the two products. Of the 35 cases, 5 showed differing treatment. This is 14% of the cases!
Lexis confirmed that, yes, there are differences, and supplied me with a table describing the differences in detail. Their prompt response and helpfulness impressed me. It showed excellent customer service by Lexis.
As a result of this, my manager is crunching numbers to determine if she can replace the CD's with Lexis.com passwords.
If you want a list of the cases I searched or a copy of the table Lexis sent me, you can email me directly at judy.helms@co.travis.tx.us.
Judy Helms
Ref. Librarian
Travis County Law Library
Austin, Texas 78701
(512)473-9045
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