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Preemption Checking: Checklist

2. Search Legal Indexes

Indexes do not search the full text of an article. They contain only a bibliographic record including information about the article, such as author and title, and sometimes an abstract. They often include assigned subjects or descriptors that can be used to focus your search. Search first by keyword (sometimes identified as a "smart search"), and examine the results for relevant subjects. Then run another search for those subjects. Check coverage dates for an index. Indexes often include journals that would otherwise not be carried in Westlaw or Lexis+.

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