One of the staff attorneys here has come across the same problem. His
solution was to add a k! to the topic query. A search would look like:
to(1k!)
Ted Smith, Law Librarian
North Dakota Supreme Court Law Library
2nd Fl., Judicial Wing
600 E. Boulevard
Bismarck, ND 58505
701-328-4594
E-mail: teds@sc3.court.state.nd.us
>----------
>From: Frederick R Snyder[SMTP:fritz@selway.umt.edu]
>Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 1997 1:05 PM
>To: law-lib
>Subject: Westlaw glitch
>
> I've come across a really curious, and fairly serious, Westlaw
>glitch. It deals with using the Digest Topic field for searching. There
>are somewhat over 400 digest topics, and the way one searches for cases
>containing a specific digest topic is by using the numerical designation
>for that particular topic. Thus the number 1 is the numerical designation
>for the topic "abandoned and lost property," the number 2 is the numerical
>designation for the topic "abatement and revival," etc. However, when you
>search by numerical designation for these two topics; i.e., to(1) or to
>to(2), you get any case which has a headnote in which the number 1 or the
>number 2 appears--even though it has nothing to do with the digest topic.
>This also happens with digest topic 3 ("abortion and birth
>control")---after that I'm not sure.
> So I called Westlaw customer service, and the customer rep ran my
>search and verified the problem. And she said to type in the actual
>digest topic name "abandoned and lost property" in the parenthesis instead
>of the numerical designation. We thought that would solve the problem and
>it does UNLESS the digest topic only has one word; e.g., accession,
>absentees, account, etc. THEN Westlaw looks for that word anywhere in the
>heirarchy of key numbers and the titles underneath that particular topic
>as well as in the topic itself. Thus if "account" pops up in that key
>number hierarchy you get the case even if the digest topic you're
>searching for is NOT "account." It could be any digest topic, "criminal
>law" for example, as long as "account" appears underneath it in the
>hierarchy. That is, the topic field is not strictly limited to the topic.
> I called back again today, and the customer rep was as baffled
>as I am.
> Fritz Snyder, Univ. of Montana Law Library.
>
>
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