If you have used Campus Research or LexisNexis before, you may be in for a surprise when you use it in the future. Westlaw has tweaked the search interface for Campus Research with subtle changes. They have added a Basic Search and an Advanced Search, common among other library databases. Additionally, you can search up to ten different legal categories at once, such as American Law Reports and Supreme Court Cases. The left navigational bar still contains shortcuts to popular features like the legal guides and famous documents.
While Westlaw took the subtle route, LexisNexis has completely redesigned the LexisNexis Academic search interface. It is currently in the beta stage of development, slated for full release in July. The new release will include more content and more search capabilities. The current version requires that you switch from different “Search Forms” to find different information. The beta version streamlines the process, allowing you to search national and world news at the same time, among other things. You can try out the beta version by going to LexisNexis Academic and clicking on the Try the Beta release now… banner at the top.
Campus Research from Westlaw
LexisNexis Academic from LexisNexis
