…(often written as Lexis/Nexis) is a comprehensive research platform primarily used for accessing legal, business, news, and public records databases. It is widely employed by professionals in law, journalism, academia, and corporate sectors to retrieve authoritative and specialized information. Here’s a concise breakdown:
What It Offers
- Legal Research:
- Access to case law, statutes, regulations, and court rulings from jurisdictions worldwide.
- Legal journals, law reviews, and treatises.
- Tools like Shepard’s Citations to check if a legal case is still valid or overturned.
- News & Media:
- Archives of global newspapers, magazines, and broadcast transcripts.
- Historical news data stretching back decades.
- Business Intelligence:
- Company profiles, financial data, mergers/acquisitions, and industry reports.
- Due diligence resources for risk assessment.
- Public Records:
- Criminal records, property deeds, patents, and biographical data.
Key Features
- Advanced Search Tools:
- Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT), filters by date, jurisdiction, or publication.
- Custom alerts for new results on specific topics.
- Integration: Combines legal (Lexis) and news/business (Nexis) databases under one platform.
Who Uses It?
- Lawyers/Judges: For case law research and precedent analysis.
- Journalists: To fact-check or investigate stories using archived news.
- Academics: For legal scholarship or historical research.
- Corporations: For competitive intelligence or compliance checks.
Pros vs. Cons
| Pros |
Cons |
| Vast, curated databases |
Expensive subscription (not for casual users) |
| Reliable, authoritative sources |
Steep learning curve for new users |
| Time-saving for deep research |
Limited free access (requires institutional/login credentials) |
Comparison to Alternatives
- Westlaw: LexisNexis’ main competitor in legal research.
- Google Scholar: Free but less comprehensive for legal or historical data.
In short, LexisNexis is a powerhouse for deep, reliable research, particularly in law and business, but its complexity and cost make it a tool primarily for professionals and institutions.