An ever-growing amount of federal government information is available in electronic format. This presents unique challenges to a scholar citing such works. The following principles should be followed to ensure that another researcher can locate exactly the same electronic text and distinguish the electronic text from the print equivalent.
For more detailed information and guidelines for citing both print and electronically formatted government information resources, consult The Complete Guide to Citing Government Information Resources: A Manual for Social Science and Business Research, 3rd ed. by Debora Cheney, LexisNexis, Bethesda, MD. 2002. This manual was originally published in 1984 as The Complete Guide to Citing Government Documents: A Manual for Writers and Librarians by Diane Garner and Diane Smith.
This database provides bill tracking information such as the date introduced, last action, sponsors, a list of major actions, and a bill digest and summary.
For each citation, include:
For example:
This database contains acts, bills, and resolutions introduced in the House and Senate. As each act, bill, or resolution is introduced, it is assigned a unique number that allows researchers to track how the legislation changes during the legislative process. In order to cite legislation, it is important to understand how bills are numbered and where to find the bill title.
How bills are numberedActs, bills, and resolutions are assigned a unique number that acts as an identifying number for that legislation. This number stays with the legislation through the entire Congress. This number has three parts:
All three parts the number of the Congress (101st), the legislative Chamber and type abbreviation (H.R., S., etc.), and the sequentially assigned number must be supplied in the citation to link it to the text of a specific piece of legislation. For example, the 106th Congress would have both an S. 1 and an H.R. 1 and the 107th Congress would also have both an S. 1 and an H.R. 1. No committee information is required; all legislation is issued by the entire congressional Chamber, not by a committee. The congressional session number (1st or 2nd) can also be omitted.
The bill titleThe exact title of a bill may be difficult to determine. You may use the title given in the synopsis ("An Act To Restore the American Family, Enhance Support ") or the popular or "short" title given in the first section of the bill text ("This act may be cited as the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1995 "). When the title is lengthy, you may abbreviate it, giving a portion sufficient to distinguish the bill from another with a similar subject. Use an ellipsis (...) to show the title is abbreviated.
For each citation, include:
For example:
When the title is lengthy, abbreviate it, giving a portion sufficient to distinguish the bill from another with a similar subject. Use an ellipsis (...) to show the title is abbreviated.
For example:
U.S. House. 104th Congress. "H.R. 399: A Bill To Establish a Single, Consolidated Source of Federal Child Care Funding ." (Version: 2; Version Date: 3/12/95). Text from: Full Text of Bills. Available from: ProQuest® Congressional; Accessed: 02/15/01.
Bills without titlesSome bills will have neither a synopsis nor a popular title. In this case, the bill number and Congress provide enough information to locate the bill text.
For example:
U.S. House. 104th Congress. "H. Res. 222."(Version: 2; Version Date: 9/20/95). Text from: Full Text of Bills. Available from: ProQuest® Congressional; Accessed: 08/03/03.
Database Information
This database provides campaign contribution reports for each incumbent or challenger for each federal office (House, Senate, or President) as required by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Reports are provided for the current election cycle and for election cycles going back to 1989-90. When researching candidates for multiple federal offices, you will find a report on each election. Current and former reports are updated periodically. For this reason, your research must always indicate the date of the report cited.
Three types of reports are available in this database for each candidate:
For each citation, include:
PAC receipts report
Example:
"McEwen, Bob--1991-1992 Cycle PAC Receipts." (Forum: House; FEC Cand. ID: H00H06049; Date: 5/1/94, Final update). Text from: Candidate Receipt Reports. Available from: ProQuest® Congressional; Accessed: 1/23/93.
Individual contribution receipts report
Example:
"Boxer, Barbara--1995-1996 Cycle Individual Contributions Receipt." (Forum: Senate; FEC Cand. ID: S2CA000286; Date: 5/17/95). Text from: Candidate Receipt Reports. Available from: ProQuest® Congressional; Accessed: 1/23/96.
Individual contributions receipt report to a specific PAC
Also include the PAC FEC Comm. ID and PAC name in the citation (for example, the Jack Kemp Compliance Fund is the name of the PAC below):
"Kemp, Jack--1993-1994 Cycle Individual Contributions." (Forum: President; FEC Cand. ID: P80000060; FEC Comm. ID: C00238972-Jack Kemp Compliance Fund; Date: 5/2/95, Final update). Text from: Candidate Receipt Reports. Available from: ProQuest® Congressional; Accessed: 5/22/95.
Older reports that are missing information or split into two records
Some pre-1992-93 election cycle reports do not display the FEC Cand. ID number. This information can be omitted from the record. In addition, some longer records have been split into two parts. Be sure to indicate this in the citation:
"Bush, George--1991-1992 Cycle Individual Contributions (2 Parts)." (Forum: President; Date: 2/2/93). Text from: Candidate Receipt Reports. Available from: ProQuest® Congressional; Accessed: 7/04/93.
This database provides financial reports issued by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for each incumbent and challenger candidate for federal office (President, House, or Senate). It includes information on total receipts, individual contributions, candidate contributions, and other financial information about each candidate's campaign and a list of political action committees (PACs).
This database has multiple reports on candidates who have run for office in more than one election cycle. Likewise, the database has multiple reports generated for candidates who have run for more than one office during the period. The FEC Cand. ID number serves as a unique identifier for each political race ("P" for President, "S" for Senate, or "H" for House). Records are updated regularly; be sure to include the date to alert your reader to the possibility of later changes to the record.
For each citation, include:
For example:
This database contains the full text of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and is a grouping by subject of all current federal regulations. The CFR is published in 50 titles (numbered 1-50); each title contains many sections. Section symbols can be omitted from the citation.
The CFR is updated using information and text from the Federal Register (FR). A CFR title and section constitute a unique identifier and must be included in every citation. Since the CFR is constantly being updated by the Federal Register, it is crucial to alert your reader to the date of your CFR citation vis-à-vis the Federal Register. This information can be found in the header of the document in a statement of FR currency (for example, "This section is current though the 5/22/96 issue of the Federal Register".)
For each citation, include:
For example:
"40 CFR 745.113: Certification and Acknowledgment of Disclosure." (Current through 5/22/96). Text from: Code of Federal Regulations. Available from: ProQuest® Congressional; Accessed 2/10/97.
The CFR title and section when accompanied by the "current through" date provide enough information to locate the exact section cited. Thus, the section heading can be omitted if it is not available or descriptive. For example:
"24 CFR 35.92" (Current through 7/5/96). Text from: Code of Federal Regulations. Available from: ProQuest® Congressional; Accessed: 2/10/97.
This database provides information for all House, Senate, and joint committees and subcommittees of the current Congress. Each record provides committee jurisdiction, membership, and key staff.
For each citation, include:
For example:
Committee prints are a generic document type that can cover anything the committee wishes to have published in support of its legislative and oversight functions. Committee prints are issued by House, Senate, and joint committees.
For each citation, include:
For example:
U.S. Senate. Committee on Foreign Relations. Strategies for Homeland Defense. (CMP-2001-FOR-0002; Date: Sept. 26, 2001). Text from: ProQuest® Congressional Research Digital Collection; Accessed: 7/23/04.
Joint committee printFor a joint committee, use "U.S. Congress" and the joint committee's full name. For example:
U.S. Congress. Joint Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Report on the Parliamentary Election in Turkmenistan. (CMP-1995-CSC-0003; Date: Feb. 1995). Text from: ProQuest® Congressional Research Digital Collection; Accessed: 7/23/04.
AppendixIt is not uncommon for a copy of the act or other additional materials to be appended to a committee print. If it is necessary to cite directly to an appendix, use the phrase "Included in" to alert your reader that the item being cited is part of a larger document. For example:
"Countering the Changing Threat of International Terrorism." Included in: U.S. Senate. Committee on Foreign Relations. Strategies for Homeland Defense. (CMP-2001-FOR-0002; Date: Sept. 26, 2001). Text from: ProQuest® Congressional Research Digital Collection; Accessed: 7/23/04."
Congressional committee prints are a generic document type that can cover anything the committee wishes to have published in support of its legislative and oversight functions. Committee prints are available in many libraries in either paper or microfiche and can be identified by using ProQuest® Congressional.
For each citation, include:
Example:
U.S. Senate. Committee on Governmental Affairs. Nuclear Proliferation Factbook.(S. Prt. 103-111). Washington: Government Printing Office, 1994. (Y4.G74/9:S.PRT.103-111).
CIS microfiche committee printExample:
U.S. House. Committee on Public Works and Transportation. Transportation and Environmental Infrastructure Needs (Vol. 2). Washington: Government Printing Office, 1995. (1995 CIS microfiche H642-1).
GPO microfiche committee printExample:
U.S. House. Committee on Energy and Commerce. Wishful Thinking: A World View of Insurance Solvency Regulation. (Microfiche). Washington: Government Printing Office, 1994. (Y4.EN2/3:103-R).
Committee reports are issued by House and Senate committees following the consideration of a specific piece of legislation. The report details the progress of the bill in the committee, including how the bill was amended, what amendments were adopted or rejected, the estimated cost of programs proposed in the legislation, opinions of the minority and majority members of the committee, and the "legislative intent" of the piece of legislation.
For each citation, include:
Note: For additional help citing online reports, see Citing U.S. Serial Set (Online)
Committee names
Since reports are issued by the committee, the committee name must be included in each citation, preceded by U.S. House or U.S. Senate. You need not include "Congress" in the hierarchical order since there is only one U.S. House or Senate. Use only the name of the main committee as the issuing agency, not the name of any subcommittee. For example:
For a joint committee, use U.S. Congress and the joint committee's full name. For a conference committee, use only U.S. House or U.S. Senate and no committee name. For example:
Committee reports may be issued in multiple parts or volumes. In addition, due to the size of a report, the online version of a report may be split into multiple sections. Be sure to provide complete information about multiple parts or volumes as well as the complete number of online section equivalents. For example:
It is not uncommon for a copy of the act or other additional materials to be appended to a committee report. On occasion, it may be necessary to cite directly to an appendix. Use the phrase "Included in" to alert your reader that the item being cited is part of a larger document. For example:
"Appendix A: Representative George Miller's Hearing Questions for British Petroleum." Included in: U.S. House. Exports of Alaskan North Slope Oil. (104 H. Rpt. 139, Part 1). Text from: Committee Reports. Available from: ProQuest Congressional; Accessed: 4/30/03.
Congressional committee reports are issued by standing, joint, and conference committees following the consideration of a specific piece of legislation. The report details the progress of the bill in the committee, including how the bill was amended, what amendments were adopted or rejected, the estimated cost of programs proposed in the legislation, opinions of the minority and majority members of the committee, and the "legislative intent" of the piece of legislation. Committee reports are available in libraries in either paper or microfiche.
For each citation, include:
Example:
U.S. House. Committee on the Judiciary. Shipping Act of 1983. (H. Rpt. 98-53, pt. 2). Washington: Government Printing Office, 1983. (Y1.1/8:98-53/pt.2).
CIS microfiche committee reportExample:
U.S. House. Committee on the Judiciary. Alternative Punishments for Young Offenders, Report Together with Dissenting Views (To Accompany H.R. 3351 )... (H. Rpt. 103-321). Washington: Government Printing Office, 1993. (1993 CIS microfiche H523-21).
GPO microfiche committee reportExample:
U.S. Senate. Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Fisheries Act of 1993. (S. Rpt. 104-91). (Microfiche). Washington: Government Printing Office, 1995. (Y1.1/5:104-91).
Database Information
Committee documents function as a major historical record of each Congress by providing texts of Presidential messages to Congress, veto messages, agency annual or special reports to Congress, reports on committee activities, and the texts of committee-sponsored special studies and background information compilations. Documents are issued by either the House or the Senate as a "committee of the whole".
For each citation, include:
For example:
U.S. Senate. Task Force on Economic Sanctions. (S. Doc. 105-26). Sept. 8, 1998. Text from: Congressional Documents. Available from: ProQuest® Congressional; Accessed: 4/20/04.
Note: For additional help citing online reports, see Citing U.S. Serial Set (Online)
Database Information
Committee documents function as a major historical record of each Congress by providing texts of Presidential messages to Congress, veto messages, agency annual or special reports to Congress, reports on committee activities, and the texts of committee-sponsored special studies and background information compilations. Documents are issued by either the House or Senate as a "committee of the whole". Documents are available in libraries in either paper format or in microfiche.
For each citation, include:
Example:
U.S. Senate. Committee on Appropriations, U.S. Senate, 126th Anniversary, 1867-1993. (S. Doc. 103-17). Washington: Government Printing Office, 1995. (Y1.1/3:103-17).
CIS microfiche committee documentExample:
U.S. House. Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Bridge Replacement at Great Bridge, Chesapeake, Virginia: Communication from the Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army (H. Doc. 103-308). Washington: Government Printing Office, 1994. (1995 CIS microfiche H640-1).
GPO microfiche committee documentExample:
U.S. House. Disabled American Veterans, 73d National Convention, Communication from the National Adjutant, Disabled American Veterans. (H. Doc. 103-339). (Microfiche). Washington: Government Printing Office, 1994. (Y1.1/7:103-339).
This information is related to the daily edition of the Congressional Record, which is accessed from the Advanced Search form. For information on citing the permanent edition of the Congressional Record, available to those users who have access to the Congressional Record Permanent Digital Collection, please see below.
Database Information
The Daily Congressional Record is issued daily when Congress is in session. Each issue (sometimes printed in more than one part) consists of the sections bulleted below. The page numbers within each section begin with "1" on the first day of the Congress and continue numbering consecutively until the end of that Congress.
A citation to the Daily Congressional Record could be to an entire section, to a quote by a specific speaker, to a bill text, or to a specific roll call vote.
For each citation, include:
For example:
This database provides exact paging in the header at the beginning of each entry and also at the top of each screen. This allows the citation to a specific quote to include the exact page number containing that quote. For example:
Senator Dole (KS). "Health Care Reform." Congressional Record 142:94 (May 10, 1996) p. S5986. Available from: ProQuest® Congressional; Accessed: 8/23/04.
Bill textThe text of a bill can frequently be located in the Congressional Record. Try to locate the bill number and include it in the citation. In addition, always use the exact page number where the bill text begins. For example:
"Healthy Meals for Children Act (H.R. 2066)." Congressional Record 142: 90 (May 14, 1996) p. H4911. Available from: ProQuest® Congressional; Accessed: 8/23/04.
VoteAll roll call votes are numbered. The number must be included in the citation to identify the specific vote being cited. For example:
"Unfunded Mandate Reform Act of 1995: Roll Vote No. 25." Congressional Record 141:22 (January 23, 1995) p. H498. Available from: ProQuest® Congressional; Accessed: 8/23/04.
This information is related to the permanent edition of the Congressional Record, which is accessed from the Basic, Advanced, and Search by Number forms. For information on citing the daily edition of the Congressional Record, please see above.
A citation to the Congressional Record (Permanent Edition) can be to an entire section or to various types of content within a section (such as a quote by a specific speaker, a bill text, or a specific roll call vote), but all citations should include:
To cite content quoted by a specific speaker, cite the name of the speaker first.
Note: The title "Representative" or "Senator" should not be added, but the home state of the speaker should be included.
For example:
Edward M. Kennedy (MA). "Additional Sponsors - S. 584." Congressional Record 141 (1995) p. 11291. (Text from: Congressional Record Permanent Digital Collection); Accessed: September 30, 2008.
Bill textThe text of a bill can frequently be located in the Congressional Record. If possible, locate the bill number and include it in the citation. In addition, always use the exact page number where the bill text begins. For example:
"Common Sense Legal Standards Reform Act (H.R. 946): Roll Vote No. 136." Congressional Record 141 (1995) p. 11287. (Text from: Congressional Record Permanent Digital Collection); Accessed: September 30, 2008.
CRS reports provide excellent background information on areas of public policy. The reports are generated by researchers working within the Library of Congress and are created at the request of Members of Congress or their committees.
For each citation, include:
Note: Report number must include date of issuance because CRS reports are frequently issued in multiple iterations
For example:
"U.S. Congressional Research Service. Afghanistan: Current Issues and U.S. Policy (RL30588; Oct. 7, 2003), by Kenneth Katzman. Text in: ProQuest® Congressional Research Digital Collection; Accessed: December 10, 2005.
The Federal Register (FR) includes all final and proposed regulations, notices of investigations and meetings, and regulatory investigation notices from federal administrative agencies. Final regulations are added to the next issuance of the Code of Federal Regulations.
A citation to the Federal Register (FR) should allow the reader to find the exact section cited without having to search the entire text of a daily issue. The volume and page number of the FR issue serve as unique identifiers to both the print version and the online version of an FR entry. Page numbering begins with page "1" on the first business day of each year. Each volume number corresponds to a single year.
For each citation, include:
For example:
"National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Source Categories: Aerospace Manufacturing and Rework (Proposed Rules and Notice of Public Hearing)." Federal Register 59:146 (August 1, 1994) p. 38949. Available from: ProQuest® Congressional; Accessed: 9/15/04.
Entry divided into multiple parts, due to lengthOccasionally, it is necessary for the online text of an entry to be divided into several parts because of its length. The total number of parts should be included following the date in each entry. However, do not confuse the database "part" (Part I of II and Part II of II, for example) with the regulation "part" (Part XIV, as seen in the example below). Since many regulations are exceedingly complex, it is frequently necessary to publish and update each part individually.
For example:
"Final National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System and Storm Water Multi-Sector General Permit for Industrial Activities, Part XIV (Notice)." Federal Register 60:189 (Sept. 29, 1995) p. 50804; Parts I-II). Available from: ProQuest® Congressional; Accessed: 9/15/04.
Congressional hearings contain the full transcripts of the proceedings, usually arranged chronologically in the order of appearance of witnesses. Hearings include the record of oral and written statements, committee questions, and discussion. Frequently, hearings also contain texts of related reports, statistical analyses, correspondence, exhibits, and articles presented to the committee by witnesses or inserted into the record by committee members and staff. Hearings are available in many libraries in either paper format or in microfiche and can be identified by using ProQuest® Congressional.
For each citation, include:
For example:
U.S. House. Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce. Hazardous Waste Disposal, Part 1. (HRG-1979-FCH-0059; Date: Mar.-May 1979). Text in: ProQuest® Congressional Hearings Digital Collection; Accessed: March 10, 2007.
It is not uncommon for additional materials to be appended to a congressional hearing. If it is necessary to cite directly to an appendix, use the phrase "Included in" to alert your reader that the item being cited is part of a larger document. For example:
"History and Status of Hazardous Waste Management in New Jersey." Included in: U.S. House. Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce. Testimony Hazardous Waste Disposal, Part 1. (HRG-1979-FCH-0059; Date: Mar.-May 1979). Text in: ProQuest® Congressional Hearings Digital Collection; Accessed: March 10, 2007.
Congressional hearings contain the full transcripts of the proceedings, usually arranged chronologically in the order of appearance of witnesses. Hearings include the record of oral and written statements, committee questions, and discussion. Frequently hearings also contain texts of related reports, statistical analyses, correspondence, exhibits, and articles presented to the committee by witnesses or inserted into the record by committee members and staff. Hearings are available in many libraries in either paper format or in microfiche and can be identified by using ProQuest® Congressional.
For each citation, include:
Example:
U.S. House. Committee on International Relations. Evaluating U.S. Foreign Policy, Hearing. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1995. (Y4.IN8/16:F76/11).
CIS microfiche hearingExample:
U.S. House. Committee on the Judiciary. Baseball's Antitrust Exemption, Part 2, Hearing, Sept. 22, 1994 Washington: Government Printing Office, 1995. (1995 CIS microfiche H521-20).
GPO microfiche hearingExample:
U.S. Senate. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Domestic Petroleum Production and International Supply, Hearing. (Microfiche). Washington: Government Printing Office, 1995. (Y4.EN2:S.HRG.104-50).
ProQuest® Congressional information includes congressional member financial forms filed by Members of Congress each year. Each form covers a single calendar year. Forms from 1991 to date are included.
For each citation, include:
For example:
This database provides a biographical summary for each Member of the current Congress, including committee and subcommittee assignments, and names and location of the Member's staff in Washington and in his or her home district.
For each citation, include:
For example:
For each citation, include:
For example:
Millbank, Dana. "Final Day of Nomination Hearings: Yawn." Washington Post 26 September 2005, A06. ProQuest® Congressional; Accessed: 9/16/05.
This database provides information on how each Member of Congress has voted on a particular bill.
For each citation, include:
For example:
This database contains the full text of public laws (P.L.). These laws are also published in the print publication Statutes at Large (Stat.) and most will be codified by topic in the United States Code Service. The volume and page numbers in the Statutes at Large together serve as a unique identifier for a P.L. in both this database and in print; they must be included in every citation and can be found in the header of each document.
For each citation, include:
For example:
"Public Law 102-240: Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991." (105 Stat. 1914; Date: 12/18/91). Text from: United States Public Laws. Available from: ProQuest® Congressional; Accessed: 4/23/04.
Many public laws do not have short or popular name titles (for example, "The Social Security Act") or the title is not part of the header information within the online source. In these cases, the title can be omitted, but the public law number must always be included. For example:
"Public Law 104-19." (109 Stat. 194; Date: 7/27/95). Text from: United States Public Laws. Available from: ProQuest® Congressional; Accessed: 4/23/04.
Public law with a known bill numberThe enacted bill number is always useful for confirming the relationship between a bill number and the specific public law being cited. The bill number can frequently be found in the header information for each public law. For example:
"Public Law 102-25: Persian Gulf Conflict Supplemental Authorization and Personnel Benefits Act of 1991." (105 Stat. 75; Date: 4/6/91; enacted S. 725). Text from: United States Public Laws. Available from: ProQuest® Congressional; Accessed: 4/23/04.
This database contains transcripts of congressional committee hearings. These transcripts cover both statements of witnesses and the question and answer (Q&A) sessions between witnesses and Members of Congress.
For each citation, include:
For example:
Since a hearing transcript may contain the statements and Q&A of committee members and witnesses, it may be necessary to quote a specific statement within the transcript. The database does not provide page or screen numbers. To quote a specific statement or segment within the transcript, provide the name of the person being quoted and the specific hearing transcript.
Include the speaker name (lists containing the complete name of each person are included at the beginning of each transcript). The affiliation or title of a witness can be omitted, particularly if the affiliation or title is not official. Titles of the Members of Congress should be included. The first speaker's name can also be entered last name first (for example, Albright, Madeline K.) to maintain an alphabetical arrangement of works by a single author within a bibliography.
For example:
This database contains the full text of the United States Code Service (USCS) as published by Matthew Bender. This database is essentially the current public laws of the United States arranged by subject. The USCS is published in 50 subject titles (numbered 1-50); each title contains many sections. Section symbols (for example, @) can be omitted from the citation.
For each citation, include:
For example:
"21 USCS 343 (1996): Misbranded Food." Text from: United States Code Service. Current through 5/31/98. Available from: ProQuest® Congressional; Accessed: 10/15/1998.
The USCS title, section, and edition date provide enough information to locate the exact section being cited. Thus, the section heading can be omitted.
The U.S. Serial Set is the official compilation of congressional reports and documents. At one time nearly all government publications were issued as congressional documents in the Serial Set and bear a congressional number reflecting the Congress and a unique number for the document itself (e.g., 42nd Congress, H. Doc. 242). Within the Serial Set there are documents, reports, hearings, executive documents, congressional journals, and prints. The bound volumes have been numbered consecutively since 1817.
For each citation, include:
For example:
Note: For additional help citing U.S. Serial Set online, see Citing Committee Reports (Online) and Citing Congressional Documents (Online)
The U.S. Serial Set is the official compilation of congressional reports and documents. At one time nearly all government publications were issued as congressional documents in the Serial Set and bear a congressional number reflecting the Congress and a unique number for the document itself (e.g., 42nd Congress, H. Doc. 242). Within the Serial Set there are documents, reports, hearings, executive documents, congressional journals, and prints. The bound volumes have been numbered consecutively since 1817. The U.S. Serial Set is available in libraries in microfiche.
For each citation, include:
For example:
U.S. Department of State. Statistical View of the Population of the United States from 1790-1830 Inclusive. (S. Doc. 23-505; Serial Set 252) Washington; Duff Green, 1835. (CIS Serial Set microfiche 252 S.doc 505).