Government Information Research Guide
Articles, Journals, and Periodicals

Articles

Find articles published about a chosen research topic in journals and periodicals by searching one of our Databases or Periodical Indexes.
Almost all government databases are available to off campus users. Databases that the library subscribes to are available on Library computers to all. They are available off-campus to UMass students, faculty, staff, and affiliates with an OIT account; enter your OIT username and password when prompted.

Journals and Periodicals

Search by keyword

Enter a keyword followed by the word "periodicals" (e.g. population periodicals) to locate journals and periodicals in a topic area

Search by title

The Library Catalog lists journal and periodical titles related to government information. Use "Title begins with" to search for a specific title, or use "title keywords" if exact title is not known. 

Use Library of Congress Authorities, Subject Authority Headings search to find proper subject headings to use in a subject search. Search government periodicals under appropriate subject headings followed by the subdivision "Periodicals"
(example: Congress Periodicals).

Search by call number

Use "Call number begins with".  Government documents use the Superintendent of Documents (SuDoc) classification number system.  Check no. 4 under "Examples" on how to format SuDoc numbers properly.

Limiting searches

Limit the search by selecting "Limit/Sort," then select "UM/Government Documents" from "Where item is located" bar.

To search only federal government documents, go to Marcive Web Docs, a catalog of all federal goverment documents cataloged by the Government Printing Office (GPO) from 1976 to the present.
To limit searches to periodicals select "Combined Search," enter search term in "Subject" or "Anyword" line, and enter "ser" (serial/periodical) in "format" line.

| Indexes | | Major Journals |

Indexes:

Titles of indexes and agency Web sites that can search specifically for periodicals and serials issued by federal agencies are listed below.

Migrating Government Publications (University of Memphis)
One of the most comprehensive listings of government periodicals available in multiple formats or only online. Indexed by agency/SuDoc number or title.

Catalog of U.S. Government Publications  (Government Printing Office)
Contains records for serial publications issued daily to quadrennially, published by federal agencies. Search journals by going to Advanced Search and limiting search to serials and periodicals.

Useful links for finding agency home pages:

LSU Libraries Federal Agencies Directory (Louisiana State University)

Yahoo Directory: U.S. Government Agencies

The Library's Reference Collection contains many indexing and abstracting sources available in print in the Library's Reference collections. Browse what's available on the Reference Materials page.

Major Journals:

For more information on journals available online, visit the E-Journals page.

Congressional Record. (Government Printing Office) 1789- [title varies]
1st Cong. [1789]-98th Cong. [1984] (UM/Univ Lib J 11.R 3-5);
99th Cong. [1985]-104th Cong. [1996] (UM/Gov.Docs. Fiche X1.1: );
105th Cong. [1997]- (UM/Gov.Docs. X1.1/A:)
Daily when Congress is in session. Official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress.

Consumer Product Safety Review. (Consumer Product Safety Commission) (1996- )
UM/Gov. Docs. Y 3.C 76/3:28
Quarterly. Provides information on injuries and deaths associated with consumer products. Lists recent CPSC recalls. Also includes National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) Data Highlights.

Economic Indicators  (Council of Economic Advisors) (1995- )
Provides economic information on prices, wages, production, business activity, purchasing power, credit, money and Federal finance. Archived issues back to 1948 are available from FRASER, Federal Reserve Archival System for Economic Research, by Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

Employment and Earnings. (Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics) (1954- )
UM/Univ Lib Per HD 5723 A4532
Monthly. Current data on employment, hours, and earnings for the United States as a whole, for states, and for more than 200 local areas.

Environmental Health Perspectives. (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences) (1972- )
UM/Gov. Docs. HE 20.3559:
Monthly. Presents research articles and news of the environment.

FCC Record. (Federal Communications Commission)(1986-)
UM/NON-CIRC KF 2765.1 A552 U54
Biweekly plus 12 Supplements. Inclusive compilation of decisions, reports, public notices and other documents of the Federal Communications Commission of the United States.

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents    (Office of the Federal Register) (1993- )
Contains statements, messages, press conferences, speeches, and other Presidential materials.