Users of this subject page must also consult the Government Documents subject page. Also consult the United States Government Web Sites section of this political science subject page.
Public Documents Masterfile1774- Connect
This “…comprehensive electronic guide to federal, state, local, and international public documents [c]onsolidates, in digital form, several traditional print indexes, indlucing Indexes to the GPO Monthly Catalog 1895-1976, GPO shelflist records, 1789-1976, and Descriptive Catalog of the Government Publications of the United States, 1774-1881… “ Includes links to digitized documents.
Catalog of U.S. Government Publications 1994- Connect
“The catalog provides an index to print and electronic publications created by Federal agencies. When available, links are provided to the full-text of these publications.” Use in conjunction with Checklist of United State Public Documents 1789-1909 Langsam Reference Z1223.A113; Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications (title varies)1939- Langsam Reference Z1223 .A18 and series of cumulative indexes Langsam Reference Z1223.Z7K26/ Langsam Reference Z1223.A181y/Langsam Reference Z1223.ZyL47; GPO Monthly Catalog 1976- Connect Also see Public Documents Masterfile above. For additional information about the Government Printing Office and its publications use GPO Access http://www.gpoaccess.gov/index.html
Homeland Security Digital Library Connect
The Dudley Knox Library at the Naval Postgraduate School produces this full text collection of documents relating to homeland security matters.
LexisNexis Congressional 1977- Connect
Updated daily, LexisNexis Congressional contains the full text of bills since 1989, public laws since 1988, committee reports since 1990, and Congressional hearings since 1987-l988. Contains the Congressional Record since 1985 and the Federal Register since 1980.
Formerly classified United States government documents issued since World War II that have now been declassified.
Federal documents may be found in four locations in Langsam Library: classified by Library of Congress call numbers and shelved in the book stacks; classified by Superintendent of Documents call numbers and shelved in the government documents collection; on microfilm or microfiche and shelved in the microforms collections housed in the Current Periodicals Department; or on the web. Records for government documents owned by University Libraries are in uclid, where they may be identified by author, by title, by subject, or by keyword. Below is a guide to locating government documents in Langsam Library written by Ms. Lorna Newman, Government Documents Librarian:
Government Documents
Langsam Library
University of Cincinnati
Searching for government documents:
UC library catalog (http://uclid.uc.edu/search/) – The majority of the U.S. government documents owned at UC can be found by searching the library’s catalog. If you are unable to locate a specific publication in the catalog, please consult with the Government Documents staff.
GPO Monthly Catalog (http://firstsearch.oclc.org/dbname=GPO;done=referer;FSIP) – Includes records published by the U.S. GPO (Government Printing Office) since July 1976. Provides links to online publications.
Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS844) – Provides an index to print and electronic publications created by Federal agencies. When available, links are provided to the full-text of these publications. Coverage begins with January 1994.
GPO Access (http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS23052) - Search for a broad range of U.S. government information. GPO Access includes the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications, which is a searchable index of government information in print as well as electronic format.
FedStats.gov (http://www.fedstats.gov/) - FedStats provides information for Federal agencies reporting expenditures of at least $500,000 per year in one or more statistical activities.
GPO's Pathways to Government Information: Browse Topics (http://www.gpoaccess.gov/topics/index.html) - Browse nearly 200 topics.
USA.Gov http://www.usa.gov/ ) - Federal government website that provides the public with easy, one-stop access to all online U.S. Federal Government resources, including a search engine, directory by topic, and directory by department.
Additional information can be found at the Government Documents web site: http://www.libraries.uc.edu/research/subject_resources/gov_docs/index.html
Contact Information:
Lorna Newman, Government Documents Librarian
Langsam Library
513-556-1874
lorna.newman@uc.edu
All students of political science should be familiar with these documents:
Code of Federal Regulations
Congressional Record
Federal Register
Foreign Relations of the United States
Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States
Serial Set
Statutes at Large
Supreme Court Reports
United States Code
Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents
These, and other government documents are described in detail in this source:
Schmeckebier, Laurence F. Government Publications and Their Use. 2nd rev. ed. (Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution, 1969)
Reference Z1223.Z7S3
Although now considerably out of date for more recent government publications this guide remains unsurpassed in its description of government publications begun before 1969, such as the sets listed above. Update Schmeckebier by using:
Hardy, Gayle J. Subject Guide to U.S. Government Reference Sources. 2nd ed. (Englewood, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited, 1996)
Reference Consultation Office Z1223.Z7R63 1996 Also online in NetLibrary.
Hoffmann, Frank W. Guide to Popular U.S. Government Publications. 5th ed. (Englewood, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited, 1998)
Reference Z1223.Z7B35 1998 Also available online in NetLibrary
Sears, Jean L. Using Government Information Sources: Electronic and Print (Phoenix, Arizona: Oryx, 2001)
Reference Z1223.Z7S4 2001
Zwirn, Jerrold. Accessing U.S. Government Information: Subject Guide to Jurisdiction of the Executive and Legislative Branches. Rev. and exp. Edition (Westport, CT.: Greenwood Press, 1996)
Reference Z1223.Z7Z88 1996
A useful style manual for citing government publications is:
Cheney, Debora. The Complete Guide to Citing Government Information Resources: A Manual for Social Science and Business Research. 3rd edition (Bethesda, MD.: LexisNexis; Congressional Information Service, 2002)
Reference Secure J9.5.G37 2002
The Government Documents Department maintains a shelf list of Ohio documents. Ohio legislative and judicial documents may be found online in:
Ohio Capitol Connection http://www.ohcapcon.com/ipc/ipc.htm?/olis/olin.htm
Access is through the Article Resources section of the library’s home page. This resource also includes daily information on topics of current interest such as school funding and census redistricting as well as many useful web links.
City and county documents may be found in:
Index to Current Urban Documents 1972- http://gw2.scbbs.com/_icud/icud.jsp
Reference Z1223.6.A1I5 v.1-27
Online 2000- Online access is through the Article Resources section of the library’s home page. Includes municipal publications concerned with social, economic, and political matters. Also includes administrative documents.
Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Parliamentary Papers (London: Chadwyck-Healy, 1988/89- )
Microfiche 311 Langsam Current Periodicals
Library holdings are indicated on the shipping lists. Use Micro J301.K5 in the Media area. Beginning with the 1991/92 session a cd-rom index is available in Langsam Reference on the dedicated reference cd-rom network computers.
The library also owns sessional papers for the 18th and 19th centuries in our microform collections in Current Periodicals. From 1900 to 1988/89 the library owns only Command Papers. Sessional papers dating from this period may be borrowed from the Center for Research Libraries (CRL) by the library’s Interlibrary Loan Department.
Great Britain. Parliament. Papers by Command (London: H.M. Stationery Office, 1852-J301.K6 Langsam stacks )
Citations to British documents that contain a number preceded by notations such as “c, cd, cmd, cmnd” are command papers.
Great Britain. Parliament. Parliamentary Debates from the Year 1803 to the Present Time…(London: Cox and Baylis; T.C. Hansard, etc. 1804- )
J301.P3 Langsam stacks
Often cited as “Hansard” and bound in a distinctive blue.
British government publications are listed in the Stationary Office annual catalogs:
Stationery Office (Great Britain). The Stationery Office Annual Catalogue (London: The Office, 1997- )
Reference Z2009.G82
Continues several earlier publications. The Stationery Office maintains a web site at: http://www.hmso.gov.uk/
Official documents are posted at: http://www.official-documents.co.uk/
Counsel of Europe
http://www.coe.int/portalT.asp
European Union Online
http://europa.eu.int/index_en.htm
Main government sites and links.
European Union in the US
http://www.eurunion.org/
NATO http://www.nato.int/
African Union (AU)
http://www.africa-union.org/home/Welcome.htm
Asian
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
http://www.aseansec.org
PAIS Archival 1915-1976 Connect and PAIS International 1972- Connect
Includes citations to government documents issued by many nations. Covers economic and social issues, especially topics that are or may become the subject of legislation. Also includes books, journal articles, and pamphlets. Multilingual. .
Langsam Library subscribes to the printed official records (General Assembly, Security Council, etc.) from 1945 to 1987. Since 1987 the Law Library maintains UN official records in a microform subscription. The Langsam Library continues to purchase many of the UN sales publications and the publications of several UN-related agencies such as UNICEF. These are cataloged in uclid.
AccessUN 1996- http://brs.newsbank.com/cgi-bin/libs/opendb.pl?p_d=UNCR&f=customized&p_lang=English&p_nb_id=Q56L4BYBMTA5NTY4OTE5Ny42NzU1MTg6MToxMToxMjkuMTM3LjE2NA
Current and retrospective full text coverage of United Nations publications. This resource is listed in the Article Resources section of the library’s home page.
The United Nations maintains a web page at: http://www.un.org/aboutun/chart.html
For assistance with government documents, contact the Library’s Government Documents Section: 556-1874