Government information can sometimes be difficult to track down, but doesn't need to be. Government agencies ranging from local to state to federal to international are coping with problems and conducting research on a large range of topics. Much of this information is freely available on-line or held at libraries. Some information is only available from vendors and requires an institutional subscription. The University of Iowa has a good collection of print and electronic resources to help you track down what you need.

Smart Search includes print, microfiche and electronic titles from the State of Iowa, the United States Government Printing Office, and the United Nations. Hearings, reports, statistical titles among others can be discovered via Smart Search.

Lexis Nexis Congressional is a subscription resource that has a lot of utility. Of particular interest may be the Congressional research service (CRS) reports which are difficult to find elsewhere. Members of Congress ask the CRS to compile reports on issues of concern to them or their constitutents. These reports are very thorough yet succinct (many averaging 15 pages in length). These reports can be a good primer on a subject to get you up to speed. To get to these reports, choose the Advanced Search tab, under "Search within" choose only CRS reports.

World Bank Research Guide - includes links and description of various sources. Key titles here include the World Bank E-library (full-text books, reports and serials) as well as World Development Indicators - a good source of statistics.

SourceOECD - reports, statistics and other sources of information from governments who participate in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (primarily European and North American countries and Japan, but increasingly information from China, Brazil and other rapidly development countries)

United Nations Research Guide - a primer on the organization of the UN, its sources of information, and collections held at the University of Iowa Libraries.