GPO Monthly Catalog

Printable version

Introduction | Accessing | Searching | Search Results | Managing Search Results | Search Tips | Additional Features

Introduction

GPO (U.S.Government Printing Office) Monthly Catalog offers coverage from all types of U.S. government documents. This includes Congressional reports, hearings, debates, records, as well as any documents released by the following U.S. governemtent departments: Defense, State, Labor, and Office of the President. The coverage is from 1976 to present; updated monthly. Over 522,000 documents are included and accesible online, free of charge, from the GPO office.

Accessing

This database may be accessed from the Databases page of the Electronic Resources section of the NSU Alvin Sherman Library website. For more on how to access databases visit http://www.nova.edu/library/dils/lessons/electroniclibrary/

Searching

In FirstSearch, GPO Monthly Catalog should automatically connect you to the advanced search screen. If you are not in the advanced search mode, change to an advanced search so that you will have more search options. After accessing the advanced search type your search term(s) in the entry box add any search limitations–fields, document types, years, etc. click on Search/Submit to obtain a list of records Sample GPO Montly Catalog search screen.

Search Results

Search results will vary. If you get: No records matched your search, then check your spelling or the fields you searched in. Too many, then go back and limit your search. Sometimes a search needs to be modified with: additional search words, searching only a specific field, adding date limitations, or type of materials. Too few, then go back and expand your search. Consider synonyms for your search words or concepts. Try to use professional language or terminology. Irrelevant results, then try new search terms. Consider synonyms or related concepts. Identify and search using descriptors. Try a different database. Results lists The results of a GPO search will look like the example below. A list of numbered citations is given. Sample GPO search results. Records To view a detailed record click on an item’s title Example of a record in GPO.

Managing Search Results

Databases typically allow you to manage your search results by marking or tagging records to select only the records that you want from your search results from later printing, emailing and/or saving printing the search results list and/or specific records emailing the search results list and/or specific records to your email address saving the search results list and/or specific records–some databases may allow you to save your file for export into commercial bibliographic citation manager software, such as EndNote or ProCite Not all search management features are available in all databases. Marking The "mark" feature allows you to select records within your search results. By marking items, you can print or email multiple records at one time. To mark a record in the List of Records, click in the check box to the left of a title in a Detailed Record, click in the check box labeled Mark–top of the screen Marking items in GPO. To view your list of marked records click on Marked Records–top of the screen Click on Marked Records. Marked records in GPO Monthly. You may then email or print the citation information for the items you have selected. Printing To print a record click on the Print icon near the top of the Detailed Record the item will be automatically reformatted and the Print dialog box will appear click Print click the Return icon Print dialog box. To print a document Click on the Access hyperlink near the bottom of a selected record to retrieve the document in .pdf format online. Example of the Access option in GPO. The document will display in a new "Adobe Acrobat Reader" window. Use the Adobe Acrobat Reader program menu bar to print or save the displayed document.   Emailing to email a record click on the email icon near the top of the Detailed Record select the item to be sent, level of record detail, record format enter an email address click the Send button click the Return icon Emailing records in GPO. Use your complete email address and include a note about what you are sending in the comment box. Saving To save a record click on the Export icon–near the top of the Detailed Record select options select Text File in the Export To: section click the Export button click Save enter a filename–extension should be .txt click Save click the Return icon Saving records in GPO. Use a word processing program to open your file.

Search Tips

Use advanced search features to modify a search to obtain more successful search results. You can combine advanced search features to modify and improve your search. Advanced search features often include: phrase or proximity searching field searching date document and/or publication type Boolean operators plurals and truncation One useful tip when searching any electronic database is to leave out articles, prepositions, and very abstract or general terms–they confuse the database's search engine. For example, if the paper is on "The Impact of Mainstreaming Students in Math Classes,” use the most precise terms like mainstreaming and mathematics and skip impact, the, of, and in. Phrase or proximity searching In GPO, there are two ways to search for a phrase put the phrase in double quotes, such as "violent crime" "crime and punishment" use the letter w to search for two words as a phrase violent w crime criminal w law Phrase searching in GPO. Field searching To limit your search to a specific field in the record use the pull-down arrow–to the right of each text entry box scroll to the field to limit your search to click on the field’s name Field searching in GPO. Date To limit a search to specific years go to the year box type a specific year (such as, 2001) or a range of years (such as, 1990-1999) or from a specific year until the current year ( such as, 1995- ) Limiting by date in GPO. Publication type To limit a search to specific years go to the year box type a specific year (such as, 2001) or a range of years (such as, 1990-1999) or from a specific year until the current year ( such as, 1995- ) Limiting by date in GPO. Boolean operators The Boolean operators, AND, OR, and NOT can be used to modify a search click on the pull-down arrow click on the Boolean operator to use Use AND to narrow a search. AND looks for both terms in the same record. leadership and vision; mainstreaming and science Use OR to broaden a search. OR looks for either term in the same record. mainstreaming or inclusion; elementary education or secondary education Use NOT to eliminate records with a certain term. Saturn not car; Venus not planet Boolean operators in GPO. Plurals Use the following symbols in FirstSearch GPO to locate plural forms, truncate search terms, or replace characters: + Regular plural forms. crim+ retrieves both crime and criminal * Any number of characters at the end of a word. leader* retrieves leader, leaders, leadership # One character. defen#e retrieves both defense and defence ? Zero to nine characters. radio?y retrieves radiology, radiometry, radiography, radioactivity Truncating search terms in GPO.

Additional Features

Several FirstSearch databases now have links to other sources of information–tabs along the top of your search results–such as web sites. If you use this option you will leave the database you are searching in and be sent to another database. Use Previous Search to return to your original search. Tabs to relevant items in other FirstSearch databases.