From Simmons Library Research Guides
Reference
- United States Government Manual
Level 1 Reference JK421 .A3
This is the official handbook of the federal government. Contains comprehensive information about the three branches of government, the federal departments, and the many other organizations that receive federal funds, such as the National Endowment for the Arts.
- Shepard’s Acts and Cases by Popular Names
Level 1 Reference KF80 .S5 1999
This source “provides citation information for statutes and Federal and state cases that are commonly referred to by a popular name.”
- United States Code: Containing the General and Permanent Laws of the United States
Level 1 Reference KF62 .A2 1994
This 35-volume source covers the titles and tables of, and a general index to the general laws of the United States. The laws reprinted here appear as they were originally written.
- Supreme Court Compendium: Data, Decisions, and Developments
Level 1 Reference KF8742 .S914 2003
Written with the general user in mind, this is an excellent source to gain an understanding of what it is that the Supreme Court does.
- Legal Systems of the World
Level 1 Reference K48 .L44 2002
A four volume encyclopedia that discusses the political, social, and cultural aspects of legal principles and systems from all over the world. You can look up an American state or a country and find information about the government structure, legal codes, the judicial system, high courts, and much more. You can also look up legal terminology and concepts for in-depth definitions and discussion.
- West's Encyclopedia of American Law
Level 1 Reference KF154 .W47 2004
This is a thirteen volume encyclopedia containing nearly 5,000 entries on terms, concepts, events, legal movements, cases, and significant people in US law. Entries are arranged alphabetically, and most contain lists for further readings. Some entries also include more in-depth essays, and the set includes appendices, primary documents, and citations for cases and statues.
- Gale Encyclopedia of Everyday Law
Level 1 Reference KF387 .G27 2003
The Gale Encyclopedia of Everyday Law offers background information on practical laws and issues affecting peoples lives. The two volumes offer 200 articles arranged in 24 broad subject categories. The encyclopedia also offers a comprehensive overview of the American legal system, a list of State and Federal Agency contacts with websites, and a general index in the second volume.
- U.S. Laws, Acts, and Treaties
Level 1 Reference KF385.A4 U152 2003
Three volumes of essays on constitutional provisions, treaties, and statues, giving information on historical provenance for laws and their main provisions. Each essay offers a bibliography, and entries are arranged chronologically. The third volume features the text of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, and a list of legal research resources. A subject and category index is also available in the third volume.
- National Survey of State Laws
Level 1 Reference KF386 .N38
Information in this source has been separated into categories such as “employment,” “real estate,” and “criminal,” laws. When warranted, tables have been created to illustrate state-by-state variations law or policy.
- Major Acts of Congress
Level 1 Reference KF154 .M35 2004
Published in 2003, this three volume encyclopedia contains entries on over 262 major acts of Congress through history, offering contextual information and background, significant elements of each act, the last impacts, cross-reference to other related acts, and bibliographies. The table of contents and topical index for all three volumes can be found at the beginning of each volume, and a copy of the Constitution, a chronology, glossary, and court case index at the end.
- Historic U.S. Court Cases
Level 1 Reference KF385.A4 J64 2001
A two-volume encyclopedia with essays on a variety of topics (mostly Supreme Court cases) organized topically and chronologically. Essays are a few pages long and offer a general overview and information about why the case is significant, as well as further reading lists.
- Gallup Poll
Level 1 Reference HN90.P8 G35
The Gallup Poll collects public opinion information regarding a wide variety of subjects. The best way to go about accessing it through this book is to use the subject index at the back.
- American Generations: Who They Are and How They Live
Level 1 Reference HC110.C6 M545 2005
This source contains tables, charts, and graphs depicting all sorts of information related to various generations in America.
Web Sources
- Catalog of US Government Publications
Free Online
According to the site, the "CGP is the finding tool for federal publications that includes descriptive records for historical and current publications and provides direct links to those that are available online. Users can search by authoring agency, title, subject, and general key word, or click on "Advanced Search" for more options."
- GovSpot
Free Online
GovSpot tells users that it is "a non-partisan government information portal designed to simplify the search for the best and most relevant government information online.” A wide array of topics are covered on this site.
- USA.gov
Free Online
This is government information as provided by government agency sources. Information is arranged into categories to facilitate searching. The site also features: A-Z Agency Index, Federal Government, State Government, Local Government, and Tribal Government menus that allow the user to view and choose among the many branches of each.
- US Department of Health and Human Services Gateway to Data and Statistics
Free Online
According to the website, "this web-based tool brings together key health and human services data and statistics. It is designed to complement other government resources such as Firstgov [USA.gov] and FedStats. The Gateway covers federal, state and local government sponsored information.”
- Congressional Record
Free Online
Put out by the U.S. Government Printing Office, this website provides access to text and PDF versions of documents produced by the House and Senate. The site also splits the Judicial, Legislative, and Executive branches onto different pages, allowing easier navigation of the documents produced by each branch.
- Congress.org
Free Online
Features a directory of current members of Congress, state and local elected officials, and Federal agencies. Especially useful is a tool that allows users to conduct a bill search or vote search. This site is maintained by two non-partisan companies “that specialize in facilitating civic participation.”
- Code of Federal Regulations (CFR): Main Page
Free Online
According to the site, "the Code of Federal Regulations is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government. It is divided into 50 titles that represent broad areas subject to Federal regulation. Each volume of the CFR is updated once each calendar year and is issued on a quarterly basis.” Users may locate the appropriate topic and elect to view text or PDF versions of these documents. This site is a service of the U.S. Government Printing Office."
- General Laws of Massachusetts
Level 1 Reference KFM2420 .M3andFree Online
Includes the full text of the Massachusetts state Constitution, as well as the entire United States Constitution, Massachusetts state laws, state government organization and responsibility, and much more.
- FedStats
Free Online
Especially useful are: “Agencies listed alphabetically,” which lists and describes each agency and the sorts of statistics they provide, as well as links to their websites, contact information, and key statistics. Also has Agencies by subject dropdown tool.
- Statistical Abstract of the United States
Level 1 Reference HA202 .U5 and Free Online
The Statistical Abstract of the United States (1878 to present) is an authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States. This source contains statistics and tables on vital U.S. domestic issues such as agriculture, birth rates, population, religion, education, health and nutrition, natural resources, science & technology, transportation, and many others. The Abstract includes historical statistics, state rankings, state and metropolitan area data, county and city data, and quick facts about each state. You can search the abstract using the quick search box in the upper right. You can also browse data sets by clicking on sections in the left-hand column. The print version is updated annually, with more frequent updates to the electronic version.
- Population Reference Bureau
Free Online
According to the website,“the Population Reference Bureau informs people around the world about population, health, and the environment, and empowers them to use that information to advance the well-being of current and future generations.”
- UNdata
Free Online
Put out by the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). It allows the user to search UN statistical databases containing a variety of statistical resources of the UN System. There is a glossary feature that defines key terms as well as a wiki feature.
- United States Census Bureau
Free Online
A useful source of data relating to the people and economy of the United States. A number of useful tools in an array of topics are available on this site.
- Occupational Outlook
Free Online
Content for this site is provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections. This site allows the user to look-up a profession and see what sort of education is necessary to get work in the field as well as a look into future need for individuals who do such work.
- National Center for Health Statistics
Free Online
This site is put out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It contains data, survey results, and links to relevant outside sources pertaining to health-related issues.
- National Center for Education Statistics
Free Online
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), located within the U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of Education Sciences, is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education. The website includes collections of education statistics and indicators about all aspects of American education.
Finding Articles
- Lexis Nexis Legal Research
Simmons e-resource
Contains and searches documents relating to Law Reviews, Federal and State Cases, Shepard's® Citations, Federal & State Codes, Tax Law, Canadian Court Cases, Canadian Legislation, European Union, Commonwealth & Foreign Nations, Patents.
- CQ Library
Simmons e-resource
This source is “created and hosted by CQ Press, the CQ Electronic Library (CQEL) is the definitive reference resource for research in American government, politics, history, public policy, and current affairs.”
- American Marketplace: Demographics and Spending Patterns
Reference Level 1 HF5415.33.U6 A4 2005 and Simmons Eresource
(Paraphrased from the forward of the print version.) The data within this source has been collected in order to provide an accurate understanding of the American lifestyle. Typical entries are made up of a statement of a statistical figure, followed by a few explanatory sentences.
Other Interesting Websites
- National Parks Service
Free Online
This website presents information regarding the history of the parks, current NPS initiatives, history and culture, nature and science, Heritage Documentation Programs, the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, and has a collection of historic photographs.
- The Presidential Libraries
Free Online
These websites contain authoritative information regarding American presidents. Some sites include original documents such as digitized photographs and transcribed speeches and addresses.
- Smithsonian Flickr Account
Free Online
Did you know the Smithsonian has a Flickr account? Available to everyone online are more than 6,000 images related to the various Smithsonian Museums' collections.
