Government Documents are the publications put out by government agencies – federal, state, local, and international. They do not deal solely with law and politics, but are reports on every aspect of life whether involving current events, education, science, technology, sociology, medical, etc. They are often the best, and sometimes the only source of statistical information on a given topic.
Other types of information are congressional hearings and committee reports, bills, laws, regulations, court cases, patents and trademarks, consumers reports, historical documents, and reports issues by different governmental agencies, commissions, and task forces.
Most recently published government documents are available on the internet. However, many important documents are still only available in other formats, such as books, periodicals, pamphlets, posters, maps, and video (either DVD or VHS). Not everything can be found using a Web search engine.
Each department of the United States Government has a webpage which may list its publications. Departments may be found on Rowan’s Government Documents Homepage under LSU Libraries Federal Agencies Directory.
Each department, its internet address, directors, and information about what it does may also be found in the United States Government Manual (latest print copy in Reference, 2nd floor, Call Number: REF ZA 5075 G68)
or online at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/gmanual/index.html
Public access to government documents is guaranteed by law and is your right as a citizen.
There are several places you can start if you’re looking for government documents.
Search Campbell Library’s online catalog. Government Documents are those listed with a SuDoc Call Number and are located in Room 245, 2nd floor, Campbell Library.
For example: DOC 1.2:L56/2 (This is a SuDoc Call No. - any call number beginning with DOC is a government document and is in Room 245.)
Catalog may be searched using author, title, subject, or keyword.
Search using GPO, an online database listed (in the alphabetical List) under Databases and Indexes on the Library Homepage. This database may be searched by subject or keyword.
Search using the Catalog of Government Publications. Catalog may be searched by keyword.
Search using the Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications
This is the paper edition of what is now the online GPO Catalog and must be used to find documents published before 1972.
Print volumes are located in Room 245, Call Number: GP 3.8/8
Search the departments of the United States Government by accessing them through LSU Libraries Federal Agencies Directory.
A great tutorial for finding documents via searching an agency was created by
Chuck Malone at Western Illinois University Library and it is located at
http://www.library.ucsb.edu/ala/tutorials/agency.html
Basically, he shows you how to (1) determine which agency you need, (2) find
that agency’s webpage, and then (3) locate or ‘mine’ its publications.
Search online using search engines.
Google Search: Unclesam - works just like Google, except that it searches only federal, state, and local government web sites.
USA.gov (formerly FirstGov.gov) – provides an A-Z federal agency index, a search box, and numerous links arranged by topic.
Fedworld – provides links to federal resources
arranged by topic, with emphasis on research and science
Search using the Agency Publications Indexes created by Federal agencies to identify their publications.
Some databases provide indexing to related non-government literature. Retrieve bibliographic citations and, when available, the full text of the document. Many of these indexes can trace their origin to printed bibliographic indexes that are or once were distributed to Federal depository libraries .
Citing Government Information Resources
General
http://exlibris.memphis.edu/resource/unclesam/citeweb.html
Using MLA style
http://www.knowledgecenter.unr.edu/subjects/guides/government/cite.html
Using APA style
http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html
Return to GovDocsHomepage