Q. How do I research U.S. government documents?

Answered By: Kathryn Ray
Last Updated: Aug 30, 2023     Views: 50

A great place to begin is with the AU Library Subject Guide on government documents

In addition, there are several ways to search the Internet for government-issued documents efficiently:

Each of these search engines will produce slightly differing results, so it's best practice to check out all three and select the best from each.

  • USA.gov -- This is the official U.S. portal to federal, state, local, tribal, and international government information and services.
  • Google -- You can limit your Google searches to government docs by typing in the search box site:.gov before entering your search terms.
  • Science.gov -- You can also use science.gov to search over 60 databases and over 2,200 scientific websites to provide users with access to authoritative federal science information including research and development results.
  • CRS Reports - great resource from the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress.

If you have any questions or would like additional help, please visit our Ask a Librarian page.

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