Government Information: Start Here

Government Information: Congress

Congress is the most prolific publisher in the world. The legislative branch is divided into two bodies: The House of Representatives and the Senate. Materials produced by Congress include bills and laws, hearings, testimony, committee reports and more. These are especially useful as Primary Resources. Use the following tools to locate Congressional Publications and click “Learn More” for a more comprehensive guide. 

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Government Information: Colorado

Locate "NORBASE" basement of Norlin Library.

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Government Information: Country

Select from one of these online resources covering countries, regions, and territories across the globe. Use Google to search for official government websites from different countries. 

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General Format Should Include:

• Legislative body, committee
• Title of Hearing
• Hearing
• Date of hearing/testimony
• Unique identifying numbers
• Publishing information (if print)
• Source information and date accessed

Example

House of Representatives Hearing

Include:

• Congressional Research Service
• Title
• (Publication/Report Number)
• Prepared by Personal Author
• Date
• Publishing information
• Source information and date accessed

Example

General Format Should Include:

• Abbreviation (P.L. for public law, Pvt. L for private law)
• Popular title or abbreviated title

Example

P.L. 113-5 -- Pandemic and All- Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act of 2013

General Format Should Include:

• Section heading
• Title number
• U.S. Code or Code of Federal Regulations
• Section number (within title number)
• Edition/date of the last update, if known
• Publishing information, if print
• Source of information and date accessed

Examples

U.S. Code

“Time for election of senators,” Title 2 U.S. Code, Pt. 1. 1934 ed. Available at: FDsys, http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collectionUScode; Accessed: 7/22/2013

Code of Federal Regulations

“Equal Access to Justice Act,” Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations, Sec. 16. Revised as of 7/1/2007. Available at: FDsys; http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collectionCfr.action?collectionCode=CFR; Accessed: 7/16/2013.

For Government Publications, the citation generally begins with the issuing agency rather than the author. One exception is if the work is part of a larger piece.

General Format

Geographic or Political Designation. Issuing Agency. Title: Subtitle (Medium). (Publication/Report Number). Edition. By Personal Author. (Series).(Notes).

Examples

Work by the Issuing Agency

U.S. Department of the Interior. Craters of the Moon: a guide to Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho. (Handbook).Washington: National Park Service, Division of Publications, 1991 (139).

One Personal Author

U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. On the Moon with Apollo 16, guidebook to Descartes region [with bibliographies]. By Gene Simmons. Washington, Apr. 1972. (NASA EP Series  No. 95).

More than Three Authors

U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Project Fog Drops 5, Task 1, Numerical model of advection fog, Task 2, Recommendation for simplified individual zero-gravity cloud physics experiments (Paper). By C. William Rogers et. al. Washington D.C., Dec. 1975. (NASA contractor report series No. 2633).

Chapter in a Larger Work

“Eastern Europe Region: Memorandum from Director of Central Intelligence to Helms to President Johnson,” pp. 65-66. In Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964-1968. (Vol. XVII). Washington: Government Printing Office, 1996.

Website as the Source of Information

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. Advances in HIV/AIDS Research. Feb. 25, 2011. Available at: http://www.nih.gov/science/hiv/index.htm. Accessed: 6/20/2013.

For citing local, state, and federal court decisions, consult the Blue Book: A Uniform System of Citation. The following websites will take you to citation guides for the Blue Book.