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Government Publications

General Information

Information from all levels of government, including federal, state, local and foreign governments and intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations, as well as reports of research projects funded by the government in all fields. There probably isn't a topic on which the government has not published information.

Strengths:

• Congressional reports on 9/11, gun control, and even the sinking of the Titanic
• Laws: from treaties, pacts, and international agreements to state and federal regulations
• Legislative histories and related information
• Primary resources
• A statistical gold mine!
• Many are available free online

Considerations:

• Some U.S. and Texas government documents in print are organized uniquely and may require some help from a librarian. However, most are in the general collection.
• A wealth of government material is also available through UTSA subscription databases such as Congressional Universe or Statistical Universe.
• Target audience: Everyone, from general public to scientists.

Example: Immigration Reform

Here are sample citations to government publications on immigration reform:

• United States. Senate. Subcommittee on Immigration of the Committee on the
       Judiciary. Immigration Policy: An Overview. 107th Congress, 1st session.
       Washington: GPO, 2002.
  
  
• United States. Commission on Immigration Reform. Becoming an American:
       Immigration and Immigrant Policy. Washington: U.S. Commission on Immigration
       Reform, 1997.

Tools for Finding these Sources

• UCAT
• GPOAccess (official federal site)
• Google U.S. Government Search
• Government Information at UTSA (guide to print and electronic)