Entry points for government information: a comparative look at four sources

Abstract

Purpose

- The aim of this article is to promote the use of free government resources to librarians and library users by focusing on four starting points for finding government information that is freely available.

Design/methodology/approach

- This article uses the No Child Left Behind act to compare the types of information that can be found in US Dept. of Education web pages, Congressional Research Service reports, General Accountability Office reports, and Congressional committee hearings.

Findings

- Each of the four government resources described in the article provides a wealth of information on the example topic. However, the information found from each resource is influenced by the mission of the organization, creating disparity in the depth of information offered and the manner in which it is presented.

Practical implications

- One can use the federal government agency that works in a subject area to find an overview, legal background, reports, and statistics on that subject, as well as information on how the agency is administering policies related to that topic. The Congressional Research Service can provide a broad outside overview of the subject along with pro and con issues related to the subject. The Government Accountability Office can add detailed analysis and criticism on the subject. Congressional committee hearings can provide testimony and reports from stakeholders and experts on the subject, offering a variety of viewpoints.

Originality/value

- This paper fills an identified need for comparison of these four sources as primary starting points for finding and using government information.

Citation

E. Malone, C. (2014), "Entry points for government information: a comparative look at four sources", Reference Reviews, Vol. 28 No. 2, pp. 2-6. https://doi.org/10.1108/RR-11-2013-0273