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A practical and up-to-date guide that leads the novice as well as the expert through the entire process of researching Congress.This easy-to-use introduction provides resources and searching tools for primary and secondary sources. Listings include almanacs, bibliographical directories, encyclopedias, indexes, online services, databases, journals, newspapers, and news services. All aspects of Congress are covered, including procedures, committees, investigations, reform, foreign affairs, and legislative analysis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 59-94) and indexes.
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These volumes offer concise annotated guides to the major primary and secondary sources of information on Congress and the presidency. Internet, CD-ROM, and database resources are included as well as printed books and periodicals. The authors also explain the basic searching procedures and related government publications together with a step-by-step research strategy designed to include all pertinent information. A glossary and a bibliography of additional secondary nonreference books round out both volumes (although the addition to the glossary of the congressional terms "engrossed" and "enrolled" would have been useful). The authors have done a fine job of updating their Congress and Law-Making: Researching the Legislative Process (CH, Jan'80; 2nd ed., 1988) and The Presidency: A Research Guide (CH, Jun'85), although the newer works are more concise. All major research works are included, grouped with similar sources, on every aspect of each topic. For example, How to Research Congress includes sources issued by organizations that rate the votes of members of Congress, campaign finance data sources, archives, television, and Internet sources in addition to the standard bills, reports, debates, etc., and How to Research the Presidency describes where to find platforms, oral histories, and public opinion polls as well as the more usual biographies, speeches, papers, and vetoes. There is some overlap between the volumes in the areas of general reference books, periodical indexes, and online and CD-ROM databases that cover government activity. (It should be noted that Congressional Masterfile I (1995) covers the period 1789-1969, and not pre-1789.) More details concerning procedures, particularly with regard to Congress, are included in the authors' earlier works, but other recent titles have updated that information (Charles Tiefer's Congressional Practice and Procedure: A Reference, Research, and Legislative Guide, CH, Dec'89, and Researching the Presidency: Vital Questions, New Approaches, ed. by George C. Edwards III, John H. Kessel, and Bert A. Rockman, CH, Jul'93). A Research Guide to Congress: How to Make Congress Work for You, by Judith Manion, Joseph Meringolo, and Robert Oaks (2nd ed., 1991), is the most similar recent work on Congressional research and includes many major primary and secondary sources of information as well as extensive explanation of Congressional procedures and terminology. An excellent sourcebook, it discusses databases that at the time it was published were all online and fee-based and have now been supplemented with free Internet sources such as GPO Access and Thomas (URL: http://thomas.loc.gov). These two new CQ guides are highly recommended for any library as very affordable, useful resources for users and as reference and training tools for librarians. L. Treff-Gangler University of Colorado at Denver
