Government Publications Resources   Tags: government  

Locating government publications has gotten easier thanks to increased efforts by the government, but the process is still a little more complicated than finding just books and articles. Many documents are included in online catalogs, and can be searched for by subject, title, keyword, or agency. More recent records have hyperlinks to the full text of the document.

• Library Catalog - Find books in the Marshall University Libraries.
• OhioLINK - The combined catalog for Ohio libraries.
• Older documents can be identified using:
• Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications. 1900-1936 on microfiche, 1937-present in paper. GP 3.8:, Government Documents/Reference.
• MarciveWeb DOCS - A searchable catalog of U.S. government publications, July 1976 to the present. (Access limited to Marshall University faculty, staff, and students.)
• CIS Annual. 1970-2002. KF49 .C62, Government Documents/Reference.
• CIS Index to Publications of the United States Congress. Congressional Information Service. 1973-June 2002. Government Documents/Reference.
• LexisNexis Government & Politics - database covers congressional testimony, publications, legislative histories, current issues, committees, and members, as well as laws and regulations.

Because of the tremendous wealth of government information on the Web, it is often best to start your search with one of the search engines or portals listed below.

• FirstGov.gov - The U.S. Government's official web portal.
• Science.Gov - The gateway to authoritative science information.
• Consumer.Gov - The gateway to consumer information.
• Students.Gov - The gateway to information of interest to students.
• Kids.Gov - The gateway to Federal sites designed for kids.
• FDsys: GPO's Federal Digital System - The Government Printing Office (GPO) produces, procures, and distributes printed and electronic publications of the federal government.
• Browse Topics (Sites)
• Alphabetical list of online resources through GPO Access
• University of Michigan Library Federal Documents Center - Excellent, comprehensive portal.
• Louisiana State University Libraries Federal Agencies Directory - Complete, searchable directory of federal agencies by name and position within the government, with links to their websites.
• Google Uncle Sam - The Google search engine looking only in .gov and .mil domains.
• Yahoo U.S. Government - Directory of government sites and resources.

To get ready for your research, you might look at the guides listed below.

• USA.gov Tutorials - Help Finding Government Information Online
• Locating United States Government Information: a guide to sources. 2d edition. Edward Herman. ZA5055 .U6 H47 1997, Government Documents/Reference
• Introduction to United States Information Sources. 6th ed. Joe Morehead. ZA5055 .U6 M67 1999, Government Documents/Reference
• Introduction to United States Information Sources. 4th ed. Joe Morehead. Z1223 .Z7 M665 1992, Drinko
• U.S. Government on the Web: getting the information you need. Peter Hernon, John A. Shuler, and Robert E. Dugan. ZA5075 .H47 1999, Government Documents/Reference.

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