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You are here: Library > Government Documents > Research Tips |
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SEARCH FOR DOCUMENTS
ADDITIONAL SOURCES NAVIGATING THE COLLECTION |
A lot of 21st century U.S. government information can be found online. The documents that fall within our library's selection profile are available via our online catalog, whether they are in paper or only on the internet. We also have a number of subject links pages to help you in your search. Finding older documents may mean your search has to extend beyond the internet, to paper indexes and other searching aids. Finally, you can use additional non-government sources, such as books from our reference collection, to make your research complete. This page will give you a start in government information research, but don't forget: if you need help, we are only a phone call (362-6237) or email away! |
Have you tried our... History Research Help pages?
The U.S. Government Documents Portal
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| TIP: when searching for a publication from a certain agency, don't forget to do a search using that agency as author! RECENT DOCUMENTS: USING THE ONLINE CATALOG Government documents can be found using our online catalog just as you would search for a book, a video or any other library item. Start by using the "WORDS" search in the online catalog, and don't forget to include Roanoke College - they have government documents also. Combine two concepts together with the word "and" to find resources that include both of those topics.
Surf the subject headings. Each record in our online catalog has subject headings that can help you find similar titles. Once you have found a source that covers your topic, scroll down to the subject headings near the bottom of the page, to see what words are used to describe your topic. You can add them to your list of search words for your topic. Subject headings are also links - to search for more books under this same subject heading, just click and go.
What you can expect to find via the online catalog:
Why are not all of the government documents in our library also in the online catalog? For a number of years, government documents were not entered into the online catalog. We are working to correct this, adding more titles every week. So, how can I find everything I need? Check the shelf! If you find a title that interests you in the online catalog, chances are good that nearby there are more titles with a similar subject. You should also use our paper indexes - continue reading for more information... OLDER DOCUMENTS: USING INDEXES The Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications is the official index to government documents. It lists every document printed by the Government Printing Office in chronological order, and can be searched using annual indexes for an author, title, subject or title keyword. The Monthly Catalog is shelved on the first range of the Government Documents
Collection on the library's first floor (govt. call # GP 3.8/8:, 1937-2000);
documents published since 1994 can be found in its online
version. 1. Search the subject index of the Monthly Catalog; this will produce an entry number, which refers to the location in the Monthly Catalog where the full information for the document is located.
3. Check our online catalog and shelves to find out whether we have
this document If you have trouble deciphering the listings, just turn to the User’s Guide in the first set of pages of each volume. Other indexes available:
TIP #2: If you do not know when your document was published, there may be a better method to search than the Monthly Catalog. Ask a librarian for help! GOVERNMENT INFORMATION ONLINE Once upon a time, most government web pages were difficult to find and use. This is no longer true. Have a look – you’ll be surprised at how much you can find and how easy it is. Use our subject links. Our subject links pages present you with a number of government and non-government sources to cover your topics. Use gateway pages. There are a number of great online directories and subject index pages for federal government information (think "Yahoo" for the U.S. government). We've made you a list. To find information on a department or agency:use our A-Z index, or try a gateway page such as Firstgov. Not everything is online! Government agencies and libraries are involved in digitization programs to make older government information available; however, the percentage of documents available so far is small compared to the percentage that is still only available in paper form. Here are some things you may not find on the internet:
ADDITIONAL SOURCES Use our F.A.Q. This list of Frequently Answered Questions has tips for finding everything from Congressional hearings to international travel warnings. Use dictionaries, encyclopedias and other handy books from the Reference collection. Our Reference books (located on the library's first floor) can be a great place to start with government research, to get an overview of your topic, or an analysis of the documents you are using. One example is the Congressional Quarterly Almanac (call no. JK1 .C66 ), and there are many other useful titles. You'll find reference books using our online catalog, or ask a librarian for help. Use online databases. Found on our e-Resources
page, our online news and journal databases can be a great supplement
to government research. Ask a librarian which databases are most useful
for researching your topic. TIP: keep in mind that online databases have not been around for very
long - for example, Expanded Academic Index only contains articles published
since 1980! For older material you may have to search using a print index
such as the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature, or the New York Times
Index. These titles are found in our Reference collection.
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updated on:July 26, 2007