Search Strategy: How to Locate Government
Documents in the Libraries
Search Strategy: Locating Government Documents on the
Internet
Search Strategy: Locating Executive and Legislative
Documents
Search Strategy: Locating Federal Statistics on the
Internet
For more information : Library guides for
government information
Search
Strategy: How to Locate Government Documents in the Libraries
1. Search infoLINK .
To make your search easier, you can change "Search in" to "Gov Docs." Then use a keyword search to locate documents about your topic.
All local, regional, state, and most federal documents owned by the Libraries will be in InfoLINK. Select web sites and electronic documents are cataloged in InfoLINK as well.
2. Search the electronic Monthly Catalog for all federal documents published
since 1976.
Select GPO Catalog from the Libraries' MetaLINK web page
To determine if we have a particular document, write down the title
and SuDoc number (Gov Pub number), then search the documents collection
for the SuDoc number.
3. Search WorldCat or the print Monthly Catalog (Gov Doc Ref Z1223 .A18)
for pre-1976 documents.
Select
WorldCat from the Libraries' MetaLINKweb page.
WorldCat does not include SuDoc numbers for most documents. To find
a SuDoc number, take the title found in WorldCat and look it up in the
print version of the Monthly Catalog. Then search for the SuDoc
number in the documents collection.
Search
Strategy: Locating Government Documents on the Internet
1. If you know your exact document title you want, follow the steps given for finding a document in the Libraries, above.
Very often, the URL will be given in the record, and save you from sorting through web sites they may only mention the document you want and not be the document itself.
2. If unsure where to begin, try a search engine limited to government
sites.
U.S Goverment Search
http://www.google.com/ig/usgov
FirstGov search feature
http://www.firstgov.gov/fgsearch/index.jsp
3. If you know which agency is responsible for the information you
seek, visit the agency's web site.
U.S. Federal Government Agencies Directory
http://www.lib.lsu.edu/gov/fedgov.html
4. If you need more leads, try some gateways to government resources.
Many of these allow broad topic browsing.
Documents Center
http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/index.html
An extensive collection of government and related Internet sites.
Documents Center - Documents in the News
http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/docnews.html
FirstGov
http://firstgov.gov/
Designed as portal to all federal government web-based resources.
Browse Topic Pathfinders
http://www.library.okstate.edu/govdocs/browsetopics/
Government information by topic.
GPO Access
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/multidb.html
Official, published version of dozens of federal publications
and databases, many legislative.
American Memory Project
http://memory.loc.gov/
This is a project to "digitize the distinctive, historical
Americana materials from the Library's collections and to make
them available online to users worldwide. These materials include
photographs, manuscripts, rare books, maps, recorded sound, and
moving pictures."
Search
Strategy: Locating Executive and Congressional Documents
Thomas: Legislative Information on the Internet
http://thomas.loc.gov/
Current and historical legislative information. Search laws, bills,
Congressional Record, etc.
GPO Access
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/multidb.html
Go to the specialized search page and click on Code of Federal Regulations
The Legal Process
http://nhclibrary.nhmccd.edu/govinfo/us/legal.html
If you are trying to follow legislation, an understanding of the
legal process and the documents produced in each step is helpful.
This page explains the various steps, and explains what documents
(bills, reports, laws, etc) are created along the way.
Congressional Universe
Provides the full text to laws, hearings, publications, committe
reports and more. Also contains the CIS Index, a tool that
tracks the Legislative History of a bill or law.
Search
Strategy: Locating Federal Statistics on the Internet
1. If you're in the Library, try the Statistical Abstract first.
Statistical Abstract of the United States
http://www.census.gov/statab/www/
On the web, but a lot easier to look at in print. Available in Bartle
and Science Reference. Useful for finding references to agencies
and publications that produce specific data. This is a publication
of the U.S. Census Bureau, another
excellent source for federal statstics.
Call number: Bartle Library Ref HA 206 .S8. (recent edition
kept at the Reference Desk, older editions kept in Reference Stacks.)
2. Try web sites dedicated to organizing federal statistical sources.
Statistical Resources on the Web (Univ. Michigan Document
Center)
http://www.lib.umich.edu/libhome/Documents.center/stats.html
Good site for locating statistics by broad subject categories.
FedStats
http://www.fedstats.gov/
Links to statistical resources from over 70 federal agencies
Statistical Universe - ASI (American Statistical Index)
and SRI (Statistical Research Index)
3. If you know the agency responsible for producing the statistics you see, visit their web site.
U.S. Federal Government Agencies Directory
http://www.lib.lsu.edu/gov/fedgov.html
For
more information...
The following guides have been created to help users find more information
about government resources in the library and on the Internet.
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