Government Publications

Government publications (e.g., Speeches from the Throne) originate from various levels of government (municipal, provincial, federal, international). They include departmental reports, legislation, policy papers, pamphlets and many other forms.

Government publications are available in print or electronic format. York University has a government publication section in its libraries where some print publications for Canada, the United States and United Kingdom are available.  

Government publications are useful when you need such information about a country as its legislation or policy on particular issues. It is important to consider the views of the current administration and the potential political or ideological biases that government documents may contain.

Closely related to government publications, much statistical data is produced by governments and international bodies (e.g., United Nations, World Bank). A common example is a census (a count of the population of a country conducted every five years). Such statistical data can inform research on numerous topics, including economic, social and environmental issues.