[blindlaw] Westlaw student inquiry

[Tim Elder]

The normal Westlaw page is way more advanced than the text only version.
For efficient research, some of the more advanced tools are not readily
available on text only.  Some of these missing features might be available
by using the long list of database search query commands but I'm not
positive about that.  I wish they would ditch their text only page and just
make the normal one more screen reader friendly.  I suppose it really
depends what you are trying to research though.  But for my purposes I
wouldn't consider text only an equal substitute for the real thing if you
want to benefit from everything Westlaw has to offer.  
  Ok, enough ranting and raving, back to Moot Court research....
Tim

 

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Deborah Byrne
Sent: Sunday, February 18, 2007 4:24 PM
To: Blindlaw
Subject: [blindlaw] Westlaw student inquiry

Hello All,

 

I would like to take a moment to introduce myself and ask a question about
Westlaw.  I will be starting law school at the University of Washington next
fall.  I already have a student account with Westlaw and I thought it would
give me a head start to learn how to use the website now.  I'm wondering if
those of you experienced with the database have an opinion on the pros and
cons of the text only version versus the sighted site.  One person at
Westlaw said the content of the two sites is quite different; another person
said they are almost identical.  I've heard that the text only version does
not allow you to trail your research while on the other hand the design of
the sighted sight is complex and rearranged as frequently as every week.
I'm not sure which to go with.

 

What do you think?  Would I lose valuable resources if I learn the text only
version instead of the regular version?

 

Thank you for your feedback

Deborah Byrne