Home - Government Documents - Research Guides at University of Houston

Welcome!

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Often overlooked, government documents are a great resource. UH is a member of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) and receives many easily accessible documents in electronic format. The print collection, covering a wide variety of departments and Congressional papers, many historic, is in the basement of the M.D. Anderson Library. (The O'Quinn Law Library is also an FDLP.) Note: not all of these resources are in our catalog, so please let me know if you need assistance.

Search USA.gov

Find forms, medical info, passport info, and much, much more!

Citing Government Documents

There are many government agencies and kinds of government documents. These guides will help you with citations, and you can also ask for help from me, or at the Information Desk.

Cite Right (e-book)
A quick guide to citation styles--MLA, APA, Chicago, the sciences, professions, and more.
Citing Government Documents
Follow the links from this University of Nebraska site.
The bluebook: a uniform system of citation
Used for legal documents of all kinds, both American and foreign.

USA.gov Videos on YouTube

USA.gov Channel

Key Databases & Websites

Congress.gov
This site is in beta and will replace THOMAS in 2014.
FDsys
Search for digitally authenticated government publications submitted by Congress and Federal agencies to the GPO. Browse through and search the many collections now available.
Govtrack.us
Research and follow pending legislation. This site is very comprehensive and easy to use.
ProQuest Congressional

ProQuest Congressional provides searchable full-text access to current and historical congressional publications including committee prints, hearings, House and Senate documents and reports, legislative histories, and the U.S. Serial Set.
Social Explorer

Census information from 1790-present, including the American Community Survey (ACS) up to 2006-2008. (UH database.)
THOMAS
Links to Congressional information provided by the Library of Congress. Very useful for bill tracking, and other legislative information.
USA.gov/Government Made Easy
A very user-friendly and comprehensive site that connects users to government information on a variety of topics. The site is also available in Spanish.

Writing & Research Tools

EndNote Web
Put all your research in one place, and get help with citing and writing, too. Accessible through the UH proxy server.
RefWorks
Research, writing, and citation help. See the videos to help you get started. Accessible through the UH proxy server.
Zotero
A free, easy-to-use Firefox extension to help you collect, manage, cite, and share your research sources.