Skip to Main Content

Finding Government Information: How to Search

This guide provides recommended resources for finding government information.

Keywords to Search

Try adding some of the keywords below to your search for government information:

  • government documents
    • Sample search: “world war ii” and government documents
  • government information
  • government publications
    • Sample search: national parks and government publications
  • government records
    • Sample search: slavery and government records
  • government reports or proceedings
  • federal laws and regulations
  • state laws and regulations

How to Search Keywords

Keywords are the words you type into a search box to search for information on your topic. The words you use to describe your topic may be different from the words used in the library catalog (OneSearch) and library databases. For example, another way to describe teenagers might be adolescents.

Watch the video below for a short tutorial on keywords, including some good strategies for combining them effectively. If you have trouble finding information on your topic, ask a librarian for help choosing successful keywords.