Subject Guide for U.S. Government Technical Reports
Contents:- Introduction
- Definition for a Technical Report
- Strategy for Locating Government Technical Reports
- Sources of Government Technical Reports
- Electronic Access Projects for Multiple Agencies
- Individual Agencies Issuing Technical Reports Abbreviations
Introduction
This guide provides a strategy for locating government technical reports. It lists major indexes for identifying technical reports and will help you determine if the reports are available in the SDSU Library or on the Internet. Locating technical reports can be difficult, please ask a librarian for assistance if you do not find what you need.
Definition for a Technical Report
Technical reports are:
- written by and for experts within a given discipline,
- contain the results of funded research,
- addressed to the sponsoring organizations.
Technical report numbers consist of several letters followed by a series of numbers and can be based on:
- contract number,
- grant number,
- accession number,
- report series,
- project number,
- Superintendent of Documents classification number.
For example: GAO/NAIAD-90-242
GAO = General Accounting Office
NAIAD = National Security and International Affairs Division
90 = issued in 1990
242 = 242nd report issued
Additional numbering schemes may be associated with one report. To find this report use the Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications to identify the Superintendent of Document (SuDoc) classification number. The SuDoc number is the call number used by the SDSU Library. The SuDoc for this report is GA 1.13:NAIAD-90-242 and it is located in the U.S. government publications microfiche collection. The report is also available for purchase through the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) as AD-A232 10-2. The Government Reports Announcements and Index provides the NTIS number.
Strategy for Locating Government Technical Reports
Locating technical reports can be challenging. If the following steps do not locate the report, please ask a librarian for assistance. To locate reports in the SDSU Library:- Check the Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications. The Library will have most reports listed. Publications are arranged by the Superintendent of Documents (SuDoc) classification number.
- Check the individual agency indexes and Web sites. Follow the suggestions for converting technical report numbers into SuDoc classification numbers.
To locate reports on the Internet:
- Check the individual agency indexes and Web sites.
- Check the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) indexes.
- The Library has a very small collection of NTIS publications. SDSU students, faculty and staff may request NTIS publications through Interlibrary Loan. Others may purchase these materials from NTIS. A librarian can assist you.
Government Printing Office (GPO)
[Indexes] [Library Holdings]The U.S. Government Printing Office oversees one of the world's largest printing operations. It is responsible for a large percentage of the material produced by the U.S. government. Much of this material is made available to the public through federal depository libraries. The SDSU Library is a federal depository.INDEXES
Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications. 1976-ongoing. (SDSU affiliated users only)- Electronic version of the Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.
- Indexes materials made available through the depository system. Its coverage of technical reports is not as comprehensive as the specific indexes produced by individual agencies.
- Indexes by personal and corporate author, title and subject.
- Beginning in July 1976 keyword and report series indexing provided.
- Entry provides the Superintendent of Documents (SuDoc) classification number.
Catalog of United States Government Publications (MOCAT). 1994-ongoing.
- Online catalog of records published in the Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications since January 1994.
- A link is available to locate depository libraries that receive the item.
- The MOCAT database is updated daily with preliminary cataloging records.
Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications.
1885-ongoing.
Location: GP 3.8: Reference/US
- Indexes materials made available through the depository system. Its coverage of technical reports is not as comprehensive as the specific indexes produced by individual agencies.
- Indexes by personal and corporate author, title and subject.
- Beginning in July 1976 keyword and report series indexing provided.
- Entry provides the Superintendent of Documents (SuDoc) classification number.
LIBRARY HOLDINGS
The Library has a majority of the reports included in the Monthly Catalog. Publications may be in paper, on microfiche or as an electronic file (disk, cd-rom, online). The PAC (library catalog) will indicate which format is owned by the SDSU Library. The SuDoc classification number is the call number used for U.S. materials.
National Technical Information Service (NTIS)
NTIS is a self-supporting agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. It is a sales source for a considerable amount of the federal government's scientific and technical information. However, it has been estimated that one-third to one-half of all technical reports never reach NTIS. The majority of the publications come from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Department of Energy (DOE), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Defense (DOD), although other agencies also contribute. Information in the areas of business, economic and social science are also included.
INDEXES
Technical Reports. 1990-ongoing.
- Database of 750,000 printed publications and technical reports.
- Search by keyword.
- Records include abstracts, links to full-text publication if available on an agency's Web site, and order information.
- Entries for recent years indicate if available from Superintendent of Documents.
- Check the Monthly Catalog for SuDoc classification number.
- NASA publications entries include the SuDoc classification number in the Report Number field, beginning in late 1982.
- DOE publications may be located in the U.S. government publications microfiche collection filed as E 1.28:report# for the years 1970-1981 or E 1.99:report# for the years 1982-1996.
- Some NUREG entries may indicate if available in depository libraries.
Government Reports Announcements and Index (GRAI). 1946-1996.
Location: C 51.9/3: Gov Pubs/US
AND
Government Reports Annual Index. 1971-1994.
Location: C 51.9/4: Gov Pubs/US
- Indexes by personal author, corporate author, subject, contract number and accession/report number.
- Includes abstracts.
- NASA publications entries include the SuDoc classification number, beginning in late 1982.
- Entries for recent years indicate if available from Superintendent of Documents.
- Check the Monthly Catalog for SuDoc classification number.
LIBRARY HOLDINGS
The Library does not actively collect materials directly from NTIS. However, since NTIS handles materials from most federal agencies, it is still possible to locate many of these items in the government publications collection. Check the Monthly Catalog for availability. The SuDoc classification number is the call number used for U.S. materials.
The Library has a very small collection of NTIS publications on microfiche located in the U.S. government publications microfiche collection. These items are filed by the NTIS order or accession number (example: PB88-19878).
SDSU students, faculty and staff may request NTIS publications through Interlibrary Loan using the author, title, publication year and NTIS number. Others may purchase the publications directly from NTIS. A librarian can assist you in determining the order code and price.
Electronic Access Projects for Multiple Agencies
Reports produced as a result of federally funded projects at universities and research labs can be elusive. Two projects involving multiple U.S. agencies can help you identify and acquire these reports.
GrayLIT Network
"GrayLIT Network is a portal for technical report information generated
through federally funded research and development projects [Department of Energy,
National Aeronautical and Space Administration, Environmental Protection Agency].
Gray literature is foreign or domestic open source material that usually is
available through specialized channels and may not enter normal channels or
systems of publication, distribution, bibliographic control, or acquisition
by booksellers or subscription agents." --from the Web site
Federal R & D Project Summaries
"Provides a portal to information about Federal research projects, complete
with full-text single-query searching across databases residing at different
agencies [Department of Energy, National Institutes of Health, National Science
Foundation]. The public may use this tool to stay better informed as to how
its investment in research and development is being utilized. It also provides
a unique window to the Federal research community, allowing agencies to better
understand the research and development efforts of their counterparts in government."
--from the Web site
Abbreviations
AEC
Atomic Energy Commission
BuMINES
Bureau of Mines
DOD
Department of Defense
DOE
Department of Energy
EPA
Environmental Protection Agency
ERA
Energy Research Abstracts
ERDA
Energy Research and Development Administration
FBIS
Foreign Broadcast Information Service
Gov Pubs Government Publications Collection, Love Library,
3rd floor
GPO Government Printing Office
GRAI Government Reports Announcements
and Index
JPRS
Joint Publications Research Service
NACA
National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics
NASA
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NBS
National Bureau of Standards
NCEPI
National Center for Environmental Publications and Information
NIST
National Institute of Standards and Technology
NSA
Nuclear Science Abstracts
NTIS National Technical Information Service
NUREG
Nuclear Regulatory Agency
Reference/US Government Publications section in Reference Services,
Library Addition, 1st floor
Reference Desk Reference desk, Library Addition, 1st floor
SCAN
Service Center for Aging Network
STAR
Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports
STINET
Scientific & Technical Information Network
SuDoc Superintendent of Documents call number
USGS
U.S. Geological Survey
Individual Agencies Issuing Technical Reports
Atomic Energy Commission
(AEC)
Bureau of Mines (BuMINES)
Department of Defense (DOD)
Department of Energy (DOE)
Energy and Research Development
Administration (ERDA)
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA)
Foreign Broadcast Information
Service (FBIS)
Joint Publications Research
Service (JPRS)
National Advisory Committee
for Aeronautics (NACA)
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA)
National Bureau of Standards
(NBS)
National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST)
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
(NUREG)
Service Center for Aging
Network (SCAN)
United States Geological
Survey (USGS)
