Government publications cover a wide variety of subjects, such as:

• Current Affairs
• Legal Issues
• Foreign Countries
• Health
• Statistical Information
• History
• Science & Technology

Government documents reflect the functions of government; any topic a government concerns itself with is fair game for publication. Congressional hearings, for example, examine topics ranging from the national budget to television violence to consumer debt to drug abuse.

Documents not only cover a variety of subjects but also come in a variety of types. Congressional hearings are simply accounts of what occurred at the hearing, with documentary evidence sometimes included. Other publications may be simply scientific papers that discuss research the government is sponsoring or interested in. Statistical reports document progress (or lack of progress), while budget information explains where the money goes.

Since government publications cover such a broad spectrum of topics and materials, they can be a real gold mine for the researcher. One can find primary source information as well as secondary and tertiary information in these publications. Their broad coverage means that you can find source material that is generally reliable on almost any topic.

Excerpts from "Lesson 12: Government Documents," a lesson for LIBR 1101 at UWG

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How can I search for government documents at Ingram Library?
To find government documents at Ingram Library, the tool you'll need to use is the library catalog,
which you'll sometimes hear referred to as "GIL."

1. From the library homepage (http://www.westga.edu/~library/), click on either the "catalog" link at the top of the page or the "Search for Books" link on the left side of the page.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Once you arrive at the Library Catalog, you can do a “Quick Search,” or you can select the “Keyword Search” or “Exact Search” options. The most efficient way to locate government documents is to click on the "Keyword Search" tab.
   
   
   
   
   
3. From the "Keyword" Search screen, click on the "Narrow My Search" button, located at the bottom right of all the search options.
   
   
   
   
4. From this screen, you can narrow your search by selecting any of the options on the various menus. Some particularly helpful limiters include:

   • Language: a helpful option if you only want to search for books written in say, Spanish, French, etc.
   • Location: this is helpful if you only want to search for reference books, government documents, or only those books that you can actually check out (Circulating Collection).
   • Date of publication: only want books published within a specific time frame? Choose this option.
   • Medium: this option is particularly helpful if you want to find a video or a sound recording.
     
     
     

   5. To search for government documents, select "Government Publications" from the "Location" menu and then click "Narrow My Search."
   
   6. Enter your search terms. All the records you access will now be government documents.

   Note: All subsequent searches will use this limiter until you click on the "Clear Settings" Button.

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How can I search for government documents on the web?
Consider checking out Ingram Library's Government Documents website.

1. Click on the "Government Documents" link, located on the lower left side of the Library's Homepage.
   
   
2. Click on "Government Databases" or "Cool Government Sites."
   
   
3. Explore!

1. Go to Google's Homepage (http://www.google.com).
   
   
2. Click "Advanced Search"
   
   
   
   
3. Scroll down to the bottom of the page.
   
   
4. Click on "U.S. Government."
   
   
   
5. You are now at Google's "Uncle Sam" search screen (http://www.google.com/unclesam)
   
   
   
   
6. Enter your keywords. All the sites you pull up should be government sites (.gov or .mil).

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