Research Guides: INST607: All About E-Government: Home

Welcome INST607!

To be successful at finding government information online, you must think like a Government Documents Librarian!

Here are strategies that can help your research:

Learn the Structure of the U.S. Government
The U.S. Government Manual, which includes an Organizational Chart of the U.S. Government PDF.

If you would like to learn about the structure of the government in a fun way, Ben's Guide to Government Documents is also a great resource.
Here is a link to Ben's Guide Infographic for the Three Branches of Government.
Take note of Popular Government Resources.
This New York University Lib Guide has a list of popular government document publications in alphabetical order.

There is also a website where you can see how many people are currently on government document websites and what site is the most popular at any given moment. This site is called analytics.usa.gov.
Review User Guides and ask for help!
There are so many government document related guides at your fingertips that are provided by the UMD librarians.
If you cannot find the answer within the guides, try askGPO.
Also, feel free to contact Celina McDonald for more help.
Keep up-to-date with Government News
Federal News Network is the key source of breaking news, information and analysis for the people who support the missions of federal agencies. Federal News Network addresses federal agency managers, policy makers and contractors.
Read informational materials about the government.
A specific library search of materials with the subject: "United States Politics and government Dictionaries "

But other sources can be a biography of a president or a book on controversial political events.

Resources for finding Government Documents

Great texts to help you understand the fundamentals of U.S. government, its processes, and how to access government materials.

Fundamentals of Government Information by Andrea L. Sevetson; Cassandra J. Hartnett; Eric J. Forte
ISBN: 9780838914199
Publication Date: 2016-06-09
Government data and resources are uniquely useful to researchers and other library users. But without a roadmap, sifting through the sheer quantity of information to find the right answers is foolhardy.
Government Publications and Their Use by Laurence Frederick Schmeckebier
ISBN: 9780815777366
Publication Date: 1969-01-01
Introduction to United States Government Information Sources by Joe Morehead
ISBN: 9780585104799
Publication Date: 1999-01-01
Whether used as a text for library and information science students, as a resource for professional librarians needing to access the information produced by or for the federal establishment, or as a guide for researchers, this acclaimed title is an essential resource and a valuable tool guiding readers through the vast and constantly changing terrain of government information in print and electronic forms.
Managing Electronic Government Information in Libraries by Andrea Marie Morrison; Government Documents Round Table American Library Association, Government Documents Round Table Staff (Contribution by)
ISBN: 9780838909546
Publication Date: 2008-05-27
Managing and providing access to the ever-expanding wealth of electronic government information now available presents a significant challenge for librarians, even those who are government documents specialists.
United States Government publications by Anne Morris Boyd; 3rd ed. revised by Rae Elizabeth Rips
Call Number: Z1223.Z7 B7 1950
Publication Date: 1949
"The 1949 edition has extensive indexes and is almost encyclopedic in its approach, covering the history, organizations, duties, and major publications of each agency."

Hartnett, Cassandra J., Eric J. Forte, and Andrea Sevetson. Fundamentals of Government Information: Mining, Finding, Evaluating, and Using Government Resources. 2nd ed. Chicago, IL: ALA Neal-Schuman, an imprint of the American Library Association, 2016.
Using Government Information Sources by Jean L. Sears; Marilyn K. Moody
ISBN: 9780897746700
Publication Date: 1993-12-15
This is the resource of choice for discriminating researchers and scholars, and for the librarians who assist them. Using Government Information Sources covers the many changes in accessing and using this material, including information sources available on the Internet, online databases, electronic bulletin boards, CD-ROM products and diskettes, and telephone hotline numbers.

Links for Online Resources:

United States Government Manual
A regularly updated special edition of the Federal Register, it includes leadership tables and describes agency activities and programs of the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of Government, as well as activities and programs of quasi-official agencies and international organizations in which the United States participates as a member.
UMD Libraries Government Documents Databases
59 U.S. Government Document related databases accessible through the library's website.
Maryland State Agency Databases
This is an annotated list of databases produced by Maryland State Agencies listed by database subject.
Created by Sin Min Yu
Provided by GODORT.
MetaLib | GPO: A-Z Resource List
MetaLib is a service of the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP)! MetaLib is a federated search engine that searches multiple U.S. Federal government databases, retrieving reports, articles, and citations while providing direct links to selected resources available online.
USA.gov | Index
Find contact information for U.S. federal government departments and agencies including websites, emails, phone numbers, addresses, and more.

USAGov's mission is to make it easier for everyone to find and understand the government services and information they need—anytime, anywhere, any way they want.

INST607: All About E-Government

U.S. Government Information, Criminal Law, Criminology, and Law Librarian

Citing Government Documents

Other Guides related to Government Documents

Welcome INST607!

To be successful at finding government information online, you must think like a Government Documents Librarian!

Resources for finding Government Documents