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5 Legal Information Alert 1 (1986)

handle is hein.lbr/leinfal0005 and id is 1 raw text is: D hWhat's now in legal publications, U databases and research techniques. Volume 5, Number 1 JANUARY 1986 LEXIS and WESTLAW: A Cost Comparison by Cary Griffith Since LEXIS and WESTLAW first ap- few of the basic reporting services (F.2d, peared, an abundance of surveys, a- F.Supp., N.W.2d, etc.), looseleaf serv- nalyses, and comparisons have come Ices, books and periodicals. Conse- into print, in either published or unpub- quently, we are forced to acquire much lished form. These studies have exam- of our information from outside libraries, ined every possible LEXIS and WEST- or CALR services. Subscribing to the LAW feature, compiling their statistics, most cost-effective CALR service is, for or offering their narrative reasoning why us, of paramount importance. one system Is superior to the other. Some studies have shown that LEXIS Since 1981 we have subscribed to contains more information, while other LEXIS. From 1982 to 1984 our CALR studies have shown that WESTLAW costs increased by more than a third, retrieves more cases1,2. There have been and by the middle of 1985 It was clear surveys that rate LEXIS superior to that unless some steps were taken to WESTLAW, and surveys that find WEST- manage our online costs, we'd be LAW superior to LEXIS3,4 . And there spending twice what we spent for 1982 have been cost comparisons that find CALR services: more money than it costs little difference between either system, to maintain our entire book collection. and cost comparisons that find definite Our rising CALR costs drove us to differences56. All of these results Imply consider the possibility of subscribing to advice on which system should be used. WESTLAW on a trial basis, and compar- So how can librarians trying to subscribe ing Its cost and overall effectiveness to to the right computer assisted legal LEXIS. At the time, we planned to research (CALR) system make a studied, conduct our comparison, evaluate our Informed decision? We may not have to. is ng CALR thsa Iro nu ffto The Control Data Law Library contains a small, core collection of looseleaf services, books, and periodicals. In the American Association of Law Libraries directory we are listed as a type IA library, or a lIbrary containing less than 10,000 volumes7. In reality the collection contains approximately 6,000 volumes: a tive service. In order to make the comparison reflect our personal use of CALR serv- ices we had to examine our use, design questions that mirrored that use, run the questions through both services, and quantify our results. (continued on page 2) From The Editor Our feature article, LEXIS and WEST-. LAW: A Cost Comparison, is an article we have been wanting to see in print for some time. Each year we have done a comparison between WESTLAW and LEXIS and what they offer substantially. There have been countless comparisons touting the better database. This month we publish another practical approach to the comparison of the two databases: which is the more cost effective database? You will be surprised by the answer. In order to give a fair and accurate report, our writer, Cary Griffith, has objectively set forth to choose the database most cost-effective for his company Control Data. In his findings, he has formulated the most economical way to get the most out of both databases. The ALERT will be at the American Association of Law Libraries' 1986 Con- vention in Washington D.C. July 6-9. Stop by Booth #182 (under the name of Allied information Publishers) and give us your comments and suggestions. Contents 1 Article: LEXIS and WESTLAW: A Cost Comparison 5 Calendar 4 10 11 5 Database News For Your Information Index New Publications 10 Publishers 399 FULLERTON PARKWAY * CHICAGO, ILLINOIS * (312) 525-7594

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