LibGuides: *Government Information: Federal: Find Articles and Reports

Recommended Databases

govinfo.gov
Govinfo provides free public access to official publications from all three branches of the Federal Government. and is the replacement for FDsys, More than just a website, govinfo provides an advanced, metadata-powered search experience, and includes a content management system and a standards-compliant preservation repository.
Catalog of Government Publications
The finding tool for federal publications that includes descriptive records for historical and current publications and provides direct links to those that are available online.
Military and Government Collection
Designed to offer current news pertaining to all branches of the military and government, this database offers a thorough collection of periodicals, academic journals, and other content pertinent to the increasing needs of those sites. The Military & Government Collection provides cover-to-cover full text for nearly 400 journals and periodicals and indexing and abstracts for more than 500 titles.

Homeland Security Digital Library This link opens in a new window
The HSDL collection provides quick access to important U.S. policy documents, presidential directives, and national strategy documents as well as specialized resources such as theses and reports from various universities, organizations and local and state agencies. The resources are reviewed and selected by a team of homeland security researchers and organized in a unique homeland security taxonomy. HSDL content includes state-of-the-art multi-media offerings and other valuable assets identified by CHDS master's degree participants and instructors.

Statistical Abstract of the United States (ProQuest)
Published annually by the Federal Government since 1878, The Statistical Abstract of the United States is the best-known statistical reference publication in the world. When the Census Bureau announced in 2011 that due to budget constraints they would cease to produce this resource, ProQuest took on responsibility for updating and releasing it. Both an answer book and a guide to statistical sources , Statistical Abstract is a comprehensive collection of statistics on the social, political, and economic conditions of the United States.

Data.gov This link opens in a new window
The purpose of Data.gov is to increase public access to high value, machine readable datasets generated by the executive branch of the federal government. It has nearly 450,000 datasets. Data.gov reaches across 172 federal agencies in the United States. Date range is 2009-date
NTRL (National Technical Reports Library) This link opens in a new window
Index to government sponsored research reports and technical papers from all areas of physical, life and applied science.

Other Databases to Try

Some more general databases often include government information, articles about the government and how it works, and sometimes reports from government agencies and Congress as well. Here are some you may wish to try.

Academic Search Premier
Academic Search Premier provides full text for nearly 4,600 scholarly publications, including full text for more than 3,500 peer-reviewed journals. Coverage spans virtually every area of academic study and offers information dating as far back as 1975.
Coverage Dates: 1975 - present

Academic OneFile (Gale) This link opens in a new window
The premier source for peer-reviewed, full-text articles from the world's leading journals and reference sources. Extensive coverage of the sciences, technology, medicine, the arts, theology, literature and other subjects - authoritative and comprehensive. Millions of articles available in both PDF and HTML full-text with no restrictions; updated daily.

Historical Statistics of the United States
This is the fourth edition of Historical Statistics of the United States. The U.S. Bureau of the Census published the prior editions in 1949, 1960, and 1975, the last known as the Bicentennial Edition. Cambridge University Press publishes this, the Millennial Edition, with the permission of the Census Bureau.
Coverage Dates: 1610 - 2000

USPTO Patent Database This link opens in a new window
Access to bibliographic and full-text patent databases.
Coverage Dates: 1976 - present
USPTO Trademark Database This link opens in a new window
This page is the starting point for the USPTO's free trademark database, which includes the full bibliographic text of pendingand registered trademarks.
Coverage Dates: - Current to within last two to four months

ICPSR (Inter-University Consortium for Political & Social Research
The Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) located at the University of Michigan is the world's largest data archive. ICPSR acquires, processes and distributes social science data collected by government agencies and other researchers. The data holdings cover a broad range of disciplines.
Coverage Dates: - present
DTIC Online
The Defense Technical Information Center serves the Dept. of Defense community as the largest central resource for DoD and government-funded scientific, technical, engineering, and business related information available.
Coverage Dates: - present
TRAIL (Technical Report Archive and Image Library)
The Technical Report Archive & Image Library (TRAIL) is an initiative led by the University of Arizona in collaboration with CRL and other interested agencies to identify, digitize, archive, and provide access to federal technical reports issued prior to 1975.
Coverage Dates: - 1975

CQ Researcher

Founded in 1923, CQ Researcher provides original, authoritative reports on newsworthy social and political issues. Covering topics in public policy, law, civil liberties, international affairs, economics, health, education, the environment, technology, and more, CQ Researcher is renowned for its objectivity, breadth, and depth of coverage.

How is a CQ Researcher report created?

CQ Researcher's editors identify a topic to be investigated, then one of the experienced journalists conceives the report's broad outlines, formulating the key questions the report will seek to answer; reads background material; interviews a range of sources; synthesizes available information; and writes the report. The average time to complete a report is five weeks.

Every report includes:

·Overview of the Issue ·Current Situation ·Chronology ·Pro/Con Debate ·Short Features ·Maps/Graphs ·Bibliography ·Next Steps

Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a division of the Library of Congress. They produce highly respected analytical, non-partisan reports on topics of interest to members of Congress. While it is not in their mandate to disseminate their reports to the public, there are a number of free and subscription sites where you can find CRS reports. You can also request copies from your Congressional Representative.

Here are some of the free sites:

EveryCRSReport

This website from DemandProgress contains new Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports -- https://www.everycrsreport.com/. There are about 8,400 reports on the site, with more coming each week. Their reports come straight from Congress, there is no charge for access, and they make the reports available for bulk download.

Federation of American Scientists CRS Reports

A very good site for current reports, organized by broad category but not very searchable nor historic.

University of North Texas (UNT) Digital Library CRS Reports

A great collection and very searchable but a long delay in posting the most current reports.

Thurgood Marshall Law Library

CRS reports in Homeland Security/Terrorism and Health Law & Policy

Core Documents of the U.S. Government

Included here are direct online links to many of the basic Federal Government documents that define the history of our democracy. Many are drawn from the GPO Access page Core Documents of Our Democracy (http://www.gpo.gov/libraries/core_docs.htm), though with several revisions and additions. They are included here as a service.

Cornerstone Documents

Presidential Documents

Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress
Codification of Presidential Proclamations Presidential Proclamations and Executive Orders,
April 13, 1945 through January 20,1989
George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress, 1741–1799
"I Do Solemnly Swear . . . ": Presidential Inaugurations
Thomas Jefferson Papers at the Library of Congress
Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents

Judicial Documents

Supreme Court Decisions, 1893 to present (FindLaw.com, browse or search)
Supreme Court Decisions, 1937-1975 (NOT official) (GPO Access, search only)
Supreme Court Decisions issued between 1937 and 1975 (FedWorld.gov, search only)
Supreme Court Decisions, 1992/93 to present) (Federal Bulletin Board, browse only)

100 Milestone Documents

A list of 100 milestone documents, with links to full text and images of the originals, compiled by the National Archives. These chronicle US history from 1776 to 1965. Includes such gems as the patent for the cotton gin; George Washington's farewell address; the notorious Supreme Court decision in Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857) that ruled that slaves were not citizens and could not expect any protection from the courts; the Zimmerman telegram (1917) that inflamed public sentiment against Germany and was instrumental in involving the U.S. in WWI; and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, removing barriers that were used to keep African Americans from voting.

Media

Moving Images: News & Public Affairs

FedFlix (http://www.archive.org/details/FedFlix) is a joint venture between the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) and Public.Resource.Org, the creator of the web page archive WaybackMachine. Here are the best movies of the United States Government, from training films to history, from our national parks to the U.S. Fire Academy and the Postal Inspectors, all of these are available for reuse without any restrictions.

Online Games

iCivics (http://www.icivics.org/) is a web-based education project designed to teach students civics and inspire them to be active participants in our democracy. While meant for younger students, these games are fun and non-preachy way of learning a little bit about how all the branches of our government work together.

Libraries

*Government Information: Federal

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