WestlawNext users are full of questions – and West Reference Attorneys are even more full of answers. Here are their responses to a few questions asked recently by customers.

Q. How do I use WestlawNext without directory links?
A. The search box on WestlawNext has many functions, including identifying available content. When you begin typing the name of the specific publication you’re looking for, a drop-down list will appear that shows relevant databases. For example, if you begin typing “Norton,” the drop-down list will show a link to Norton on Bankruptcy publications. This also works when typing in the old database sign-on identifiers such as CA-ST-ANN.

You can also find a list of resources by browsing from the home page. For example, if you want to find a list of materials related to Family Law, just click on the Topic tab on the home page and then the link for Family Law.

Q. How long do Folders, Notes and Eyeglasses last on a document?
A. The Folders and Notes will stay with your documents until you delete them and will appear regardless of which Client ID you have logged in under. The eyeglasses remain for 30 days and are specific to the Client ID.

Q. In what order do the results on KeyCite Negative History appear?
A. The documents in KeyCite Negative History appear in the same order as they do in Westlaw. We’ve always put them in order of worst treatment first; WestlawNext simply shows more information about the treating document. The Negative Treatment tab displays all negative references and uses the “most negative” label to highlight the same reference that was listed at the top of the document text.

Q. Why are there two search boxes on the Key Number page?
A. The tabbed search box at the top of the page will run a full-text search of headnotes for the selected jurisdiction. You can select a Topic, or even drill down to a specific Key Number, before running a search. The Title Search box on the right is a quick way to scan through the Key Number titles to locate the Key Number you want.