Introduction to Historical Research : Government documents
This guide is an introduction to selected resources available for historical research. It covers both primary sources and secondary materials.
U.S. Government Information--General
Finding Government Documents
Government documents can be tricky to find and use, but often they provide key primary sources for an historical argument.
Here are some tools to help you negotiate finding government document on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.
- Government Documents at Memorial LibraryThe University of Wisconsin, is a regional depository for United States government publications. Particular subject area strengths are labor, foreign relations, census information, legislative branch activities, and civil rights.
- Government Publications at the Wisconsin Historical SocietyThe Wisconsin Historical Society Library is the official depository for all State of Wisconsin publications and, with the University of Wisconsin, is a regional depository for United States government publications. It is also a selective depository for Canadian national and provincial documents and holds official state publications from many state outside Wisconsin. Particular subject area strengths are labor, foreign relations, census information, legislative branch activities, and civil rights.
United States Digital Government Document Collections
This is a sample of the U.S. government documents available electronically. A more complete list can be viewed here.
- U.S. Congressional PublicationsComprehensive ongoing collection of U. S. federal government publications from the late 18th century to the present, including American State Papers and the Civil War Official Records.
- Hein OnlineIncludes an extensive array of U.S. legal and government documents.
- Digital National Security ArchiveThe DNSA includes over 35,000 declassified primary documents relating to US foreign policy since 1945 grouped in 20 collections. The documents were compiled and organized by the National Security Archive, an independent non-governmental research institute and library which collects and publishes documents acquired through the Freedom of Information Act.
- Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) Daily ReportsIts original mission was centered on radio and press agency monitoring and translation. But in 1967, FBIS' mission was expanded to include foreign mass media whether it was conveyed by radio, television, or print.
International Digital Government Documents Collections
This is sample of the international government documents available electronically. A more complete list can be viewed here.
- House of Commons Parliamentary Papers (1688-1900)The House of Commons Parliamentary Papers are vital to the historical record of Britain, its former Colonies and the wider world. They are among the richest and most detailed primary sources for the history of the past three centuries, and are fundamental to an understanding of current legislation, policy making and the political environment.
- Official Publications of IndiaGovernment documents related to pre- and post-Independence South Asia.
- Public Affairs Information ServiceThis database indexes more than 900 journals; books; government documents; statistical compilations; committee reports; directories; serials; reports of public, intergovernmental, and private organizations; and most other forms of printed literature from all over the world.
- State Papers Online: The Tudors, 1509-1603This is a collection of English government documents originating from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries when the King or Queen acted as Prime Minister as well as Monarch.