Grey Literature

Searching Google:

To effectively search Google for national, state, and local government documents, you can use specific search techniques and keywords. Here are some tips:

1. Use Site-Specific Searches: You can limit your search to government websites by using the site: operator. For example, to find documents on climate change from government websites, you can search:

   climate change site:.gov

2. Include Keywords: Use specific keywords related to the document you are looking for. For example:

   "annual report" site:.gov

3. Use File Type Filters: If you are looking for specific types of documents, such as PDFs, you can use the filetype: operator. For example:

   climate change filetype:pdf site:.gov

4. Combine Operators: You can combine these operators to narrow down your search further. For example:

   "technical report" renewable energy filetype:pdf site:.gov

Each branch of the US government has its own web portal for government documents:

Congress.gov

Supreme Court.gov

USA.gov

• To search the documents from a specific agency or department, go to its website.  Not sure which agency or department has information you need?  Here is a list:  https://www.usa.gov/agency-index

Catalog of US Government Publications

The UGA Libraries has several databases which index government documents.  These databases often contain historical documents unavailable on free internet websites:

ProQuest Congressional:  Contains hearings, prints, reports, bills, Congressional Record, CRS Reports, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations.

ProQuest Supreme Court:  Contains briefs, dockets, joint appendixes, oral arguments, opinions and other documents for U.S. Supreme Court cases from 1975-present.

ProQuest Regulatory Insight:  Contains U.S. federal administrative law histories for the period 1936-2015 organized by federal statute and Executive Order.

Legislative Insight:  Contains legislative histories for enacted legislation from the US Congress, including reports, hearings, and signing statements.