Useful Government Information Resources for Sociology

The U.S. Government is the world's largest publisher producing informaiton on every topic from accounting to zoology. Purdue Libraries have been a depository for U.S. Government Documents since 1907 and Indiana State Documents since 1974. The Libraries also receive publications from some foreign governments and international government organizations in print and electronic formats. Most U.S. Government publications on sociological topics will be in the HSSE Library with many of these in the government documents collection on the first floor of the periodical stacks and others being in microfiche on the 2nd floor of HSSE's book stacks.

A basic index to U.S. Government Publications is the Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications HSSE REF 016.353 UN36 and online from 1994-present. Online access from 1976-present is also provided through the GPO IndexGPO Index.

Most U.S. Government publications are classified using the Superintendent of Documents (SuDoc) classification system. Under the SuDoc system, Government documents are classified alphabetically by the agency producing the document, the division within the agency, and by the type of publication being produced. ALL letters, numbers, and punctuation marks within a SuDoc number are important. For instance, the SuDoc number for the publication My Daddy Takes Care of Me!: Fathers as Care Providers has the SuDoc number C 3.223/25:PPL-53.

This SuDoc number means that the publication was produced by the U.S. Department of Commerce (C), by the Commerce Dept's component agency the Census Bureau (C 3), that it is part of a Census Bureau series called "Population Series Listing" (C 3.223/25), and that it is report number 53 in this series (C 3.223/25:PPL-53).

The Purdue Libraries Government Documents Department website www.lib.purdue.edu/govdocs/ is a useful gateway to the rich universe of government information resources on sociology and other subjects. The research guides section of this website has a number of useful guides to finding government information of interest to sociologists including ones dealing with American Indians, budget, Canadian Government Indian Affairs, criminal justice, drug policy, gambling, and public administration.

A useful print index to congressional U.S. Government publications is the CIS Index HSSE REF 328.73005 C76 which indexes publications produced by congressional committees and provides detailed legislative histories of public laws. Congressional committees are responsible for funding government programs and conducting oversight of these programs and their management performance. Transcripts of hearings and reports issued by these committees often contain valuable statistical and policy analysis information. Paper copies of congressional committee hearings and prints (studies) from 1975-present are in the Y 4 area of the HSSE government documents collection.

Numerous government agency websites and publications include information useful to sociologists. Representative samples include:

GPO Access Provides one stop access to the U.S. Government's major legal, legislative, and regulatory information sources from 1994-1995 to present. Includes all versions of congressional bills, committee reports on legislation, the text of laws, transcripts of debates in the Congressional Record, and the texts of proposed and adopted regulations in the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations.
Congressional Research Service Reports Also available in the Purdue Libraries catalog, this resource provides members of Congres and theri staff with nonbiased reports on public policy topics and legislation Congress is considering. Helpful categories to browse under include: Aged, Children, Families, Minorities, and Social Services.
Green Book HSSE Doc Y 4. W 36:10-4 Produced by the House Ways and Means Committee, this publication provides detailed coverage and statistics on federal social assistance programs such as Aid to Families With Dependent Children, Medicare, Medicaid, and others. Also available via http://waysandmeans.house.gov/
Government Accountability Office Reports The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is Congress' accounting arm and produces numerous reports documenting the management performance of federal agencies and programs. An essential resource!
Census Bureau Produces numerous reports on the U.S. population, characteristics of U.S. ethnic groups, and economic subjects such as poverty. The Department of Health and Human Services also produces poverty data with its own standards which are different from the Census Bureau's. See here for more information.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Responsible for administering Medicare and Medicaid programs.
Department of Homeland Security Office of Immigration Statistics Responsible for compiling, analyzing, and disseminating statistical information on immigrants and their impact on the U.S. See especially the annual Yearbook of Immigration Statistics.
Federal Agency Inspector General Reports Responsible for analyzing the management performance of programs administered by their respective agencies. Can issue criminal penalties if fraud is committed in these programs by agency employees or private sector contractors.

 

Indiana State Government Information

Access Indiana Provides one-stop access to Indiana State Government information resources.
Indiana General Assembly Provides access to Indiana state bills, laws, regulations, and General Assembly Study Committee reports.
Indiana Family and Social Services Administration Indiana's principal social assistance agency.

Visit other sections of the Purdue Libraries Government Documents Department website and the Libraries catalog for access to these and other government information resources. Feel free to contact Government Information & Political Science Librarian/Associate Professor of Library Science Bert Chapman at 42837 or chapmanb@purdue.edu for additional assistance.

BC (7/07 rev.)