(1) Written: Due 26 Oct. A written, annotated bibliography of U.S. federal government sources on any topic that interests you.
Please email me your topic by Oct 6.

(2) Oral: In class, 26 Oct. A very short (2 minutes), informal report to the class about interesting items you found, didn't find, problems, surprises, etc.

THIS IS

• An annotated bibliography on any topic, current or historical information.
• A bibliography of only U.S. federal government resources: print, electronic, or Internet.
• For broad topics, you can use "Selected" resources.
• Include resources you find interesting and useful.

THIS IS NOT

• A bibliography of publications from one agency.
• A bibliography of like or similar items. For instance, someone did a bibliography
  on pamphlets describing U.S. national parks. They were all basically the same.

Please look at the Sample bibliographies on Reserve in the SILS Library before you begin work.

If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask me

RESOURCES FOR FINDING PUBLICATIONS

1. Any of the catalogs and indexes we've talked about in class or are listed in your text
   or items you find through serendipity while browsing the documents stacks.

2. Our Searching for Government Information page links to sources for identifying government information
   on the Internet. http://www.lib.unc.edu/reference/govinfo/gov_srch.html

3. The Browse Topics on GPO Access link to government information by subject on the Internet. http://www.library.okstate.edu/govdocs/browsetopics/

4. The Subject Guide to U.S. Government Reference Sources.
   Davis Reference Desk, SILS Reference Z1223.Z7R63 1996. Includes print and Internet sources,
   The citations include a brief abstract and the SuDocs number or URL for each item.

FINDING PUBLICATIONS AND WORKING IN THE DOCUMENTS STACKS.

• Records for federal publications in the online catalog include SuDocs classification numbers.
  Most documents are shelved by the SuDocs number. Some documents
  are in microfiche; the online catalog record will indicates this.

• If you have problems finding something in the basement,ask me for help.
  The SuDocs system works well but isn't always easy for the first-time user.

• If something is not on the shelf, it could be several places:
  • Checked-out (if a monograph).
  • On the Reshelving Shelves, behind the Reference Desk.
  • On the Hold Shelf, at the Reference Desk.
  • It could be missing or we might not have received it.
  • Ask me for help if you can't find something.
• Some federal publications are received in Documents but shelved in Davis Reference.
  1. AE2.110: Slip Laws: Davis Ref KF50.A3: Shelved by Congress then number.

  2. Y1.1/2: Serial Set. Basement, Rows 167-178.
  3. Y1.1/3: Senate Documents. Basement, Row 179.
  4. Y1.1/4: Senate Executive Documents. Basement, Row 179.
  5. Y1.1/5: Senate Reports. Basement, Row 179.
  6. Y1.1/6: Senate Executive Reports. Basement, Row 179.
  7. Y1.1/7: House Documents. Basement, Row 179.
  8. Y1.1/8: House Reports. Basement, Row 179.

• All publications in the basement circulate, unless they have an orange dot.
  Check out publications without bar-codes at the Reference Desk;
  check out publications with bar-codes on the cover at the Davis Circulation Desk.

• In the basement, if you have pulled some publications and want to keep them on a table,
  attach a note: "Hold for [put your name] until [put a date]. Publications laying on tables without notes
  are reshelved daily by the Documents Staff.

• You can check out laptops at the Circulation Desk in Davis and take them to the
  basement to work on your bibliography. There are plugs and ethernet connections throughout the basement.

ESSENTIALS:

• Include a total of 15 items: 8 print publications (monographs only, no periodical articles),
  7 electronic products: Internet sites and/or CD-ROM's.
• Do not include commercially published sources or commercial web pages.

MECHANICS

• Title Page.
• Double space: the Introduction and Methodology sections.
• Single-space: Citations and annotations.
• Number your pages.
• Use your Spell Checker.
• Submit to me in paper or via email; do not do this as a web page.

YOUR PAPER SHOULD HAVE THESE SECTIONS, IN THIS ORDER:

1. Introduction. (two pages) This should give background information on the subject,
   overview of the types of items found, evaluation of what was found.

2. Methodology. (one page) This should be informal. How did you select items?
   Which indexes did you use? Subject headings? Did you use other bibliographies?
   Search strategy? What did you include and why? Did you find 500 potential items? 50? , etc.
   List 2 items that you didn't include and say why.

3. The Annotated Bibliography:
   • Arrangement, your choice: alphabetical? topical? chronological? geographical?
   • Annotations:
     • Should be between 75-100 words--use your word count feature.
     • Can be descriptive, analytical, critical; a combination of all three, etc.
     • You can include quotes from documents; put the page number in parenthesis.
     • Annotations should be detailed and concise. For instance, instead of writing
       "...discusses many issues.." list the specific issues discussed.
     • You can see example annotations in the samples I've put on SILS Reserve, or in the last yearly
       issue of the Journal of Government Information (JGI).
       JGI is online via the Electronic Journals page, in Davis Reference Z7164.G7 G69, and SILS Library journal stacks.

• For everything but Internet resources
  The amount of bibliographic information found on a document varies considerably,
  but use only the information you actually find on the publication.
  Some of these elements may not be available or applicable to the item you are describing.
  1. Author (Corporate or Personal; if none listed, put "Anonymous.")
  2. Title, subtitle.
  3. Edition, if any.
  4. Place of publication. (Omit if none listed, if two listed, use the first only.)
  5. Publisher (Agency)
  6. Date
  7. Series, if any.
  8. Pagination. (if unpaged, say "unpaged;" if a mixture of Arabic/Roman numerals, say "Various.")
  9. Say CD-ROM if it is one; say Microfiche if it is one.
  10. SuDocs number.

• For Internet Resources.
  
  1. URL.
  2. Title of page [if none, make up one that describes where you were].
  3. Date you visited.

SAMPLE TOPICS: