Finding Government Information: Tips and Strategies
Government research can be overwhelming! There are several places to search for government information and publications. Below are some tips and tricks for thinking through research topics related to government information.
1. Start your search by using DiscoverGov, a new search catalog that searches across government publications. Provides access to electronically accessible publications. DiscoverGov can give you a good idea of the types of publications you will encounter in your research.
- DiscoverGovNEW! Just starting out your research? DiscoverGov is a great place to start! It brings together resources from several platforms into one search portal.
2. Search DELCAT for publications we have available at the University of Delaware. The catalog has information for online, print, and microfiche U.S. Documents and operates in a similar way to DiscoverGov.
- Our print Government Documents material is located in an off site storage location, the Annex. In order to request material from the Annex, please fill out this form: https://library.udel.edu/circulation/annex/
- Please ensure that you plan ahead as our material does take time to process and deliver. Annex material is typically pulled in the evenings.
- We also have a large collection of microfiche located on the lower level of the library can that be viewed on our Microform Readers/Scanners.
- Digitized publications can be found in our catalog, DELCAT. Once you input your keywords into the search bar, you can narrow down your results by choosing "Government Information" under "Resource Type" on the left-hand side.
3. Some government publications might not be available at the University of Delaware. You can request government publications from other institutions through InterLibrary Loan. To expand your research, explore the resources below.
- HathiTrust Digital Library This link opens in a new windowHathiTrust is a shared digital repository that brings together the collections (including the US government documents collections) of partner institutions. HathiTrust is the best place to search for an older government reports, but keep in mind it can be difficult to track down.
- Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP) (online) (covers 1976-)Indexes all government publications cataloged by the Government Printing Office. Covers 1976 to present.
4. Some researchers are looking for specific publications like the US Code or the Congressional Record - using GovInfo is the easiest way to access already digitized material. You can also find additional material in Library Databases. Visit the tab on the left-hand side, called Databases.
- govinfo (GPO)A-Z listings of all documents from the United States Government Publishing Office.