Skip to Main Content

Government Documents

Finding Government Information @ Davis Library, Online, and Elsewhere

General Information Sources

If you're just beginning your search, these resources might be a great place to start:

Data.gov
Data.gov is the home of the U.S. Government's open data. Here you will find data, tools, and resources to conduct research, develop web and mobile applications, design data visualizations, and more.

 

govinfo.gov
govinfo is a service of the United States Government Publishing Office (GPO), which is a Federal agency in the legislative branch. govinfo provides free public access to official publications from all three branches of the Federal Government. govinfo replaced the FDsys website in December 2018. GPO launched govinfo in February 2016 as a beta website to replace its predecessor, GPO’s Federal Digital System (FDsys). Learn about the transition.

Government Document logo.

govinfo is more than just a website

In addition to providing an advanced, metadata-powered search experience, govinfo also includes a content management system and a standards-compliant preservation repository.

These three components comprise GPO’s world-class system for the comprehensive management of electronic information:

  1. Public access - GPO combines modern search technology with extensive metadata creation to ensure the highest quality search experience. Users can easily access documents for free by searching or browsing the mobile-friendly website.
  2. Content management – GPO securely controls digital content throughout its lifecycle to ensure content integrity and authenticity. This includes the application of digital signatures to PDF files so users can verify documents have not been altered and are the official versions.
  3. Digital preservation – GPO’s standards-compliant preservation repository follows archival system standards and ensures content is preserved for future generations despite technical failure, aging of hardware, or technological change.

GPO is seeking to become the first Federal agency to be named as a Trustworthy Digital Repository for Government information through certification under ISO 16363.

 

IRS.gov
This is the official online source for IRS tax forms, instructions, and publications. 

Science.gov
"Science.gov searches over 60 databases and over 2200 selected websites from 15 federal agencies, offering 200 million pages of authoritative U.S. government science information including research and development results. Science.gov is governed by the interagency Science.gov Alliance."

 

USA.gov
USA.gov is the United States government official web portal. This resource allows users to search government information both by topic and agency. There are also links where you can contact the Federal, State, Local, and Tribal governments, as well as elected officials. The topical list of government information is a great place to start for general searches.

 

Worldometers.info
Worldometers offers real time statistics on world population, government and economics, social media, and the environment, to name a few. This is a great resource for up-to-date statistical information around the world.