Use of the LexisNexis Web Services API User Interface (WSAPI) requires a set of credentials issued by Stanford Libraries.  In order to request credentials for WSAPI, please fill out the LexisNexis API Interest Form and Data Use Agreement found on the Apply for Access page.  Using WSAPI to build queries is a prerequisite step before being granted access tokens for the API itself.

Using the WSAPI to build API queries and test their results does not impact Stanford’s annual search/documents quotas.  We highly encourage you to take full advantage of this platform in order to evaluate the usefulness of the API for your research.

In addition to reviewing the guide below, we recommend you read over the Tips & Tricks page for recommendations about how to structure your search terms and information about filters.

Once you’re generating relevant results, make sure to copy and save the GET request string, since it includes all the filters and options you have applied and you can use it in your scripts that call the API.

Once you have been granted credentials for WSAPI, log onto the site, and select News and Directories and then News or Legal News from the top menu.

• Once you have been granted credentials for WSAPI, log onto the site, and select News and Directories and then News or Legal News from the top menu.

 

 

• Using the search interface, you can generate a GET request and preview the results of that request.

 

➊ Enter search terms.

➋ Specify order in which results are returned.

➌ Search creates GET request.

➍ Preview results.

 

• From the Expand menu, select Document in order to return the full-text of the documents.

 

 

• From the Expand menu, select PostFilters to see other parameters by which to filter results. These parameters will appear on the left-hand side of the page, next to the results preview.

 

Filters selected from the PostFilters left side bar will update the generated GET request.  Once you are satisfied with the results visible in the preview, make sure to copy the GET request string and save that, you can use this generated GET string with all of the filters and options already applied, in your scripts that call the API.