a. Scope: The scope of this source is very broad. According to the Congressional Information Service, “ASI covers every type of statistical publication (periodicals, series, special reports, annuals and biennials, etc.) regardless of whether issued by the Government Printing Office or an individual agency, whether in print or online or whether offered to libraries through the government’s depository library program.” (LexisNexis, 2010)
b. Currency: This source is published monthly, with quarterly and annual cumulations.
c. Accuracy/Authority: This index is published by the United States government’s executive branch.
d. Format: This source is available in print. Also, an online version is available by subscription through LexisNexis that covers 1973 through November 2009.
e. Entries: An entry in the index volume will provide keywords associated with a document, and then a number to find the abstract entry. The corresponding abstract entry will have bibliographic information and a short description. (Pickler Memorial Library, 2010)
f. Features: ASI has corresponding microfiche files available. (Pickler Memorial Library, 2010)
g. Overall: This is a current and comprehensive source for United States statistics.
2. The Book of the States. Lexington, Ky.: Council of State Governments, 1935- .*
a. Scope: This source provides information on the fifty states and six U.S. territories. It includes chapters on each state’s constitutions, intergovernmental relations, legislative branch, executive branch, judicial branch, elections, finances, and demographics.
b. Currency: This book is published every two years since 1935. The most recent edition was published in 2009.
c. Accuracy/Authority: The Council of State Governments is a nonpartisan organization with public and private affiliations.
d. Format: This source is arranged in chapters (see “Scope”). It opens with a table of contents, a forward, and an introduction; it closes with an index.
e. Entries: Entries vary based on the information contained therein.
f. Features: This source contains both historical information and current public policy data. Entries include tables, charts, and graphs where applicable. Two sections, “State Initiatives and Referendums, 2008” and “State Employees: Paid Holidays,” are only available online.
g. Overall: This is an interesting and reliable resource with a wealth of information on state governments and policies.
3. CIS Index. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Information Service, 1970-.*
a. Scope: The CIS Index is a companion to the CIS Microfiche Library. It provides access to government documents through “indicative abstracts, controlled vocabulary subject indexing, and accurate bibliographic information. Publications covered include all House and Senate documents and reports, congressional committee hearings and prints, and Senate executive reports and treaty documents.” (LexisNexis, 2010)
b. Currency: This source is published annually.
c. Accuracy/Authority: This source is published by the federal government.
d. Format: The print version of this resource has two volumes: one for abstracts and one for indexes.
e. Entries: Abstract entries contain brief explanation of a particular document. Index entries provide the location of a particular document in the CIS Microfiche Library. For editions 1984 and beyond, a separate Legislative Histories volume is also available.
f. Features: The index and microfiche can be purchased separately or together, although it seems counterintuitive to purchase one without the other. Also, the microfiche component can be purchased as a complete collection, or as “Hearings only, Limited Edition (committee prints and miscellaneous congressional publications), and Serial Set only (reports and documents).”
g. Overall: While this is certainly a comprehensive source, it is also very expensive -- $37,250 for the index and complete microfiche collection. (LexisNexis, 2010) According to Worldcat, this source is held mostly by major university libraries, such as Yale University’s Law School Library.
4. Code of Federal Regulations. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1949-.* http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/about.html
a. Scope: This source contains “the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government.”
b. Currency: This source is revised annually; different sections are revised at different times throughout the year.
c. Accuracy/Authority: This source is published by the federal government.
d. Format: This source is available in print and online. It is divided into 50 titles (categories) of law. Each title is then divided into chapters. Pages are set up in two columns of medium-sized text with bold headings.
e. Entries: Each entry is the direct text of a particular law.
f. Features: The online version is available for free through the Government Printing Office website. It is searchable by keyword, title, and date (from 1996 to the most recent revision).
g. Overall: This is a comprehensive resource of United States laws.
5. Congressional Index. Chicago: CCH, 1937-.*
a. Scope: According to its table of contents, this source includes “summaries of public bills and resolutions, enacted bills and joint resolutions, vetoes, voting records, committee and subcommittee rosters, hear dates and topics, presidential nominations, treaty summaries and status, and biographical and directory information on members of Congress.”
b. Currency: This source is published weekly when Congress is in session.
c. Accuracy/Authority: This source has been published since 1937 by CCH Incorporated, a private information services company.
d. Format: The Congressional Index is a print source that is published in two loose-leaf volumes.
e. Entries: Entries vary according to the information contained therein. For instance, the section on voting records “lists the names of those voting in the minority of their parties as well as those who do not vote.” Entries in the Members of Congress section include the Congressperson’s name, “district represented, political affiliation, district and Washington office locations, tenure of office, committee memberships and a brief biographical sketch.”
f. Features: Laws are searchable in several ways: by public law number, House or Senate bill number, name of law, name of law amended, subject, and principal author.
g. Overall: This is an excellent resource for a person who needs to know exactly what is going on in Congress – and is willing to pay over $2,000 dollars for this information. It would be a worthwhile subscription for a large news or lobbying organization.
6. Congressional Quarterly. 2010. 11 April 2010. www.cq.com.*
a. Scope: This website provides current news and background information on the legislative branch of government. It includes profiles of legislators, information on bills and legislative debates, and information on lobbying.
b. Currency: CQ.com is a gateway to many print and online subscription services which vary in currency. For instance, CQ Weekly is updated weekly. CQ Today is published daily.
c. Accuracy/Authority: This website is maintained by the press organization CQ-Roll Call Group, which was founded in 1945 is a subsidiary of the Economist Group. (In other words, this is not a government source.)
d. Format: The homepage of this website is colorful and easy to navigate. Sidebars provide links to CQ-Roll Call’s subscription services and other information.
e. Entries: Most of this website’s information is available by subscription.
f. Features: One useful feature that is available without a subscription is the “Congress 101” section. It explains various legislative terminologies, such as gerrymandering and reconciliation.
g. Overall: It is difficult to make a comprehensive evaluation of this website without access to most of its content. However, it does seem reliable, unbiased, and useful for people who need in-depth information on current legislation.
7. GPO Access. 2009. 11 April 2010. http://www.gpoaccess.gov/index.html.*
a. Scope: This source is provided by the Government Printing Office, which “disseminates official information from all three branches of the Federal Government.” It gives access to legislative, executive, and judicial documents, including Congressional bills and records, conference reports, public and private laws, United States law code, the code of federal regulations, the federal register, presidential materials, and Supreme Court documents. It also has a catalog of government publications and links to other government resources.
b. Currency: This website catalogs government documents from 1994 to the present. It is updated regularly as new documents are published.
c. Accuracy/Authority: This website is maintained by the federal government; therefore, information on this website is the official and government-authorized. The GPO works with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to “provide for the permanent preservation and access to the online versions of the Congressional Record, the Federal Register, the Code of Federal Regulations, and other appropriate publications.”
d. Format: The homepage is arranged in three columns of links to various kinds of information. Along the top of the homepage, there are links for an alphabetical list of resources, a federal depository library directory, buying publications, help, and information about the GPO. There is a search field in the middle of the page which searches a catalog of government publications by keyword, title, author, or subject. A keyword search for “wildlife” yielded over 8,000 results.
e. Entries: The first result in my “wildlife” search was a report titled “Bank erosion, mass wasting, water clarity, bathymetry, and a sediment budget along the dam-regulated lower Roanoke River, North Carolina.” When I clicked on it, a brief explanation, bibliographic information, and a web link came up. I clicked on the web link to bring me to the actual document, which was in PDF format.
f. Features: One interesting feature of this website is a section called “Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government,” which provides educational information and materials to K-12 students, teachers, and parents.
g. Overall: This site contains a wealth of information; it is an important research tool in the fields of law, legislation, and government.
Additional References for Government Sources
“About CCH.” CCH.Com. 2010. 11 April 2010.
“American Statistics Index.” Pickler Memorial Library: Truman State University. 2010. 11 April 2010.
“CIS Index.” Worldcat.org. 2010. 11 April 2010.
“Congressional Index.” CCH.com. 2010. 11 April 2010.
“Congressional Information Service.” LexisNexis. 2010. 11 April 2010.
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