U.S. Government Publications at the University of Wisconsin-Madison : Getting Started
Subject Guide
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Government Information Specialist
Getting Started
The first step in finding any federal government publication at UW-Madison is to search UW-Madison's online library catalog. Nearly all U.S. government publications published since 1976, and a number of those published before 1976, are included in the catalog. The catalog also has links to government publications available in full text.
The catalog is free and available to the public.
Government publications can be located in the catalog by title or keyword search, by searching for the agency name in the author field, or by using "US GPO" or "U S G P O" as keyword searches (the spacing does make a difference!).
Sample searches:
- Title search: Digest of Education Statistics
- Words anywhere search: Mars and ("US GPO" or "U S G P O")
- [in the advanced search mode]: Publisher name search: Health and Human Services
Other tools
The databases below
- can help you identify government publications by title, author, or topic;
- may contain links to the full text of government documents; and/or
- may contain the full text of a government document.
A more extensive list of resources is available through the UW-Madison's Database Library's Government category.
- Catalog of U.S. Government PublicationsSearchable index of federal documents published since 1994. Using the advanced search is recommended.
- GovInfo (US Government Publishing Office)Full text of U.S. Congressional publications and publications from some U.S. executive and judicial agencies. Examples of series included: Code of Federal Regulations, Congressional Record, Compilation of Presidential Documents, Economic Indicators, Federal Register, Congressional bills and documents. Coverage of most collections begins in mid-1990s. Advanced search is recommended.
- NTIS (National Technical Information Service)Contains descriptions of U.S. government-sponsored research from agencies such as the Departments of Defense, Energy, and Transportation, and the Environmental Protection Agency and NASA. The National Technical Information Service is the largest central resource for government-funded scientific, technical, engineering, and business related information. Provides access to information on over 3 million publications covering over 350 subject areas.
- Public Affairs Information ServiceIndexes journal articles; books; government documents; statistical compilations; committee reports; directories; serials; and reports of public, intergovernmental, and private organizations from all over the world. Covers public policy, social policy, and the social sciences in general.
PAIS is a subscription database; it is available for use in campus libraries, or for off-campus use by UW-Madison students, faculty, and staff. - A-Z Index of U.S. Government Departments and AgenciesFrom USA.gov Includes the following types of agencies: boards, commissions, & committees, executive, independent establishments & government corporations, judicial, legislative, and quasi-official agencies. You can search by name, or browse by letter.
- USA.govSearches federal, state, and local government web sites by keywords. Focuses on information resources citizens can use for their regular interactions with the federal government, including links to forms, information on national parks, and federal programs and services. Tends to be less precise than Google.
Subject Guide
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Government Information Specialist
Federal Depository Library Program
As part of the Federal Depository Library Program, the UW-Madison Libraries make U.S. government publications available to the public at no fee.
