What are
government sources?
Government sources are publications issued,
published, or financed by international, national, state, regional, county, or municipal
government agencies, offices, organizations or individuals.
There are also
different
independent publishers
who have contracts with
the government to
publish
and distribute government information.
What is the usefulness of
government
information?
The U.S. government is the single largest
publisher in the world! Since 1895, after the introduction of the Federal Depository Library
Act, the U.S. government has been responsible for disseminating thousands of
publications that provide information on every aspect of our lives!
Sometimes it's
really surprising to discover the wide range of subjects covered by these types of
publications from
consumer information, demographics, economics, industry, labor, health, housing,
business, crime, the arts, technology, education, the environment, and much
more. For a sampling, see
USA.gov.
What are some good examples when
government information can be of particular value?
Government information can be particularly useful and even powerful when you are:
...
trying to prove
your argument
The government is one of the most
important sources for statistics, data, or quotes.
This type of information can be particularly important
to illustrate or demonstrate the points you are trying
to make.
...
looking for
research
findings
Every year the government spends
million of dollars for scientific research on topics related to social,
economic, health, education, and other issues!
... looking for opposing
views
Congressional hearings can be
particularly important here as they express the
views of the people who lobby and
testify before House or Senate Committees.
... using primary/first-hand sources
Using primary
sources such as laws,
court cases, or historical documents can be quite powerful in your
research. For example, in a research project on death penalty, you may
include the Texas laws on death penalty or convict execution; or, in an argument
for or against abortion, you may use the text of the historic Roe vs Wade court
case as part of your discussion.
Ok, I am convinced! So, how do I
look for government information?
The
introduction of the Internet has allowed increasing
free public access to a large number of government sources.
So, one of the simplest ways to first look for government information is through
search engines specializing in government information web sites. Here's
how you may locate these search tools:
- go to the library web page,
http://campuslibrary.cocc.edu
- under
Research Tools,
click on the link Government info
- on the next page, click on
WEB SEARCH ENGINES
- try
Google U. S.
Government Search,
SearchGov.com,
or
USA.gov
by simply typing in your search keywords, similar to a Google
search.
Now, keep in mind that finding
specific kinds of government information can
sometimes be
quite a challenging task!
Besides contacting our COCC library
staff, you may also get live help from
Government Information Online (GIO),
an "Ask a librarian" chat
and email
service supported by
government
information librarians all over the
country! A link to GIO is
provided on the same page that lists the government information web search
engines as described right above.