Contents
See also Open Source Intelligence on the International and Area Studies - Security Studies research guide.
Government Documents Databases (U.S./Colonial)
The University of Oklahoma's Government Documents Collection is now in storage, but items may still be retrieved via Sooner Xpress. Contact the Government Documents Librarian, Jeffrey Wilhite, and see his research guides.
- For historical statistics see Historical Statistics of the United States.
- American Founding Era Collection (18th-19th C.; Rotunda)Includes papers of John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, Dolley Madison, James Madison, George Washington, and the series Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution.
- American Indians and the American West (1809-1971; Proquest History Vault)The database contains a large variety of collections from the U.S. National Archives, a series of collections from the Chicago History Museum, as well as selected first-hand accounts on Indian Wars and westward migration.
- American Presidency Project (UC Santa Barbara)Sources include nearly every document from Messages and Papers of the Presidents of the United States (1787-1902) and The Public Papers of the Presidents (1929-present). Updated regularly from the materials provided by the White House media office, the Government Printing Office, and the National Archives (NARA).
- American Proxy Wars: Korea and Vietnam (1946-1975; Readex/Newsbank)Radio broadcasts, periodicals, newspapers, and government documents from around the world on the roots and history of the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Built from Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) and the Joint Publications Research Service Reports (JPRS).
- American Race Relations: Global Perspectives (1941-1996; Readex/Newsbank)Digital archive covering foreign perspectives of American racial issues in the mid-20th century. Built from Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) and the Joint Publications Research Service Reports (JPRS).
- Apartheid: Global Perspectives (1946-1996; Readex/Newsbank)International survey of the effects of apartheid on South Africa and the world with a digitized collection of primary source documents related to apartheid. Built from Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) and the Joint Publications Research Service Reports (JPRS).
- Avalon Project (Yale)Includes digital documents relevant to law, history, government, etc. from ancient times to the present.
- Black Freedom Struggle in the 20th Century (ProQuest History Vault)Digital reproductions of organizational and personal papers and federal government records, including the papers of Mary McLeod Bethune and Claude A. Barnett, records of the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, government records on African-Americans in the military, black workers in the era of the Great Migration, files on surveillance of African-Americans, and FBI Files.
- City of Oklahoma City RecordsAvailable for research by appointment only!
- Cold War: Global Perspectives on East-West Tensions (1945-1991; Readex/Newsbank)U.S. government translations of foreign language material. Built from Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) and the Joint Publications Research Service Reports (JPRS).
- Colonial State Papers (1574-1757; Proquest)Covers the earliest English settlements in North America, encounters with Native Americans, piracy in the Atlantic and Caribbean, English conflicts with the Spanish and French, maritime history, plantations, and slavery. Includes CO 1 Privy Council and Related Bodies: America and West Indies, Colonial Papers (hard to read) and Calendar of State Papers, Colonial: North America and the West Indies (easy to read summaries).
- Congress and the Courts (HeinOnline)Provides access to relevant sources relating to the composition and structure of Article III Courts, as well as documents prepared by various Congresses relating to the purpose, formation, organization and restructuring of the federal government.
- Congressional (Proquest)Includes hearings (1824-present); CRS Reports (1916-present); House and Senate Documents/Reports (Serial Set; 1817-present); legislative histories (1969-present); bills and laws (1776-present); miscellaneous publications including GAO, CBO, the American State Papers, the House and Senate Journals (1789-present); vote reports (1987-present); maps (1789-2007); Congressional Record (1789-present); executive branch (1789-1932); and presidential materials such as executive orders (1789-present). Many of these are full text.
- Digital National Security Archive (dates below; Proquest)The DNSA collection is the most comprehensive collection available of significant declassified U.S government documents central to U.S. foreign and military policy since 1945. OU Libraries provides access to four sub-collections relating to Latin American policy and human rights:
El Salvador: The Making of U.S. Policy, 1977–1984
El Salvador: War, Peace, and Human Rights, 1980–1994
Nicaragua: The Making of U.S. Policy, 1978–1990
-Death Squads, Guerrilla War, Covert Operations, and Genocide: Guatemala and the U.S., 1954-1999. - Fold3 Library Edition (Ancestry/Proquest)A Metropolitan Library (OKC public) database. Sign up for a library card if you don't have one. Provides access to historic U.S. military records, including the stories, photos and personal documents of the men and women who served. You can also search archives for African Americans, Native Americans and the U.S. Bureau of Investigation case files, historical newspapers, historical documents, U.S. Census records, U.S. naturalization records, and city directories.
- Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) Daily Reports (1941-1996; Readex/Newsbank)U.S. government translations of foreign broadcasts, publications, and government statements. FBIS was followed by the Open Source Center (OSC) in 2005 and was included in the database World News Connection, which the library does not have. The CIA discontinued public access to the OSC in 2013.
- Foreign Relations of the United States (1861-1988; HeinOnline)Official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity. The volumes published over the last two decades increasingly contain declassified records from all the foreign affairs agencies. Also available from the Department of State here.
- Founders Online (National Archives)Correspondence and writings of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams (and family), Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison. Over 185,000 searchable documents, fully annotated.
- Freedom of Information Archive / Declassification Engine (Columbia University and the History Lab)Open access database for searching declassified documents. NOTE: As of 7-24-24, archive contains:
-Azeredo da Silveira Papers, 1973-1979
-Clinton E-Mail, 2009-2013
-Foreign Relations of the United States, 1861-1984
-Kissinger Telephone Conversations, 1973-1976
-State Department Central Foreign Policy Files, 1973-1979
-U.K. Cabinet Papers, 1907-1990
-U.S. Declassified Documents Online, 1900-2008 (Must access this database separately to see full text of documents.)
-World Bank McNamara Records, 1950-1981
--See "About Collections" tab for more information. - HeinOnlineLegal periodicals, code of federal regulations, legal classics, treaties and agreements, U.S. Attorney General opinions, U.S. Federal Legislative History, U.S. Presidential Library, U.S. statutes at large, the U.S. Supreme Court Library, and more.
- Immigrations, Migrations and Refugees: Global Perspectives (1941-1996; Readex/Newsbank)Digital archive covering all aspects of 20th-century human migration, including first-hand reports and global analysis. Built from Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) and the Joint Publications Research Service Reports (JPRS).
- Indian Claims Insight (Proquest)Allows researchers to understand and analyze Native American migration and forced resettlement throughout U.S. history, U.S. Government Indian removal policies, and subsequent actions to address Native American claims against the U.S. Government. Includes congressional publications, treaties, maps, and docket materials for all Indian Claims Commission cases, as well as cases that preceded and followed the existence of the commission.
- Joint Publications Research Service (JPRS) Reports (1957-1995; Readex/Newsbank)U.S. government translations of foreign language materials from regions throughout the world. Includes monographs, reports, serials, journal and newspaper articles, and radio and television broadcasts.
- Legislative Insight (ProQuest)A federal legislative history service containing full-text publications generated by Congress during the process leading up to the enactment of U.S. Public Laws. Texts available include the full text of the Public Law itself, Congressional Record excerpts, committee hearings, reports, prints, and other congressional publications.
- LLMC DigitalDocuments related to the U.S. Federal Executive, Judicial, and Legislative branches.
- Middle East and North Africa: Global Perspectives (1958-1994; Readex/Newsbank)Translated journals, newspapers, scientific reports, radio and television broadcasts from 19 countries in North Africa and the Middle East covering cultural, economic and political developments within the regions. Built from Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) and the Joint Publications Research Service Reports (JPRS).
- National Security Archive (George Washington University)Founded in 1985 by journalists and scholars to check rising government secrecy, the National Security Archive includes a library and archive of declassified U.S. documents.
- Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower (Johns Hopkins Univ. Press)Electronic version of the 21-volume publication; covers Eisenhower's career before and during World War II and through his presidency.
- TRAIL (Technical Report Archive & Image Library)TRAIL identifies, acquires, catalogs, digitizes and provides unrestricted access to U.S. government agency technical reports.
- Treaties and Agreements Library (HeinOnline)Provides access to all U.S. treaties, whether currently in force, expired, or not yet officially published.
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Digital LibraryThe materials in this repository include information by and about the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
- U.S. Congressional Documents (HeinOnline)Includes: Congressional Record bound volume set (1873-present) as well as its three predecessor titles: Annals of Congress (1789-1824), Register of Debates (1824-1837) and the Congressional Globe (1833-1873). The Congressional Record Daily edition is also available from 1980-present. U.S. Congressional Serial Set, Congressional Hearings, Rules & Precedents, Committee Prints, Congressional Budget Office Publications, CRS Reports, Congressional Directory, Other Works Related to Congress
- U.S. Declassified Documents Online (ca. 1905-present; Gale)Full text of previously classified U.S. government documents. The majority of the documents are presidential records.
- U.S. Documents Masterfile (1774-present; Paratext)References to federal, state, local and international public documents.
- Yucca Mountain Archival DocumentsPreviously posted on the website for the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management. Includes links to other sites.
Government Documents Databases (British)
- Avalon Project (Yale)Includes digital documents relevant to law, history, government, etc. from ancient times to the present.
- British History Online (Institute of Historical Research)Digital library containing some of the core printed primary and secondary sources for the medieval and modern history of the British Isles. Most of the material is free, but some is not. See this page for a list of material that is NOT free. We have access to some of that subscription material in State Papers Online
- Cabinet Papers, 1915-1984 (National Archives)Records of the senior ministers of the British government.
- Colonial State Papers (1574-1757; Proquest)Covers the earliest English settlements in North America, encounters with Native Americans, piracy in the Atlantic and Caribbean, English conflicts with the Spanish and French, maritime history, plantations, and slavery. Includes CO 1 Privy Council and Related Bodies: America and West Indies, Colonial Papers (hard to read) and Calendar of State Papers, Colonial: North America and the West Indies (easy to read summaries).
- English Reports, Full Reprint (1220-1867; HeinOnline)Important legal cases.
- Georgian Papers Online (1714-1837; Royal Collection Trust)This catalogue currently contains descriptions and digitised images of over 200,000 pages of documents dating from the reigns of George I to William IV, including personal letters, diaries, account books and records of the Royal Household.
- London Lives: Crime, Poverty and Social Policy in the Metropolis (1690-1800; Digital Humanities Inst.)A fully searchable edition of 240,000 manuscripts from eight archives and fifteen datasets, giving access to 3.35 million names.
- National Archives (U.K.) CatalogSearching is free but there may be a fee to download records.
- Nineteenth Century British Pamphlets (1545-1900; JSTOR)Nearly 26,000 pamphlets. Collections include Cowen Tracts (1603-1898), Earl Grey Pamphlets Collection (1800-1900), Foreign and Commonwealth Office Collection (1545-1900), Hume Tracts (1769-1890), Knowsley Pamphlet Collection (1792-1868), Selections – University of Manchester British Political Pamphlets Collection (1799-1900), Selections – London School of Economics and Political Science (1800-1899), Selections – University of Bristol (1800-1899), and Wilson Anti-Slavery Collection (1761-1900).
- Parliamentary Debates (Library Research Guide)Parliamentary debates (often referred to as Hansard) are records of what is said in Parliament. Only since 1909 has Hansard been a verbatim report and official publication; before then, publications were based on secondary sources such as newspaper accounts. Link is to several sources of the debates.
- Parliament Rolls of Medieval England (1272-1509; Scholarly Digital Editions)Full text of the rolls of parliament (translated and in the original Latin, Anglo-Norman or Middle English). The rolls were the official records of the meetings of the English parliament from the reign of Edward I until the reign of Henry VII.
- Proceedings of the Old Bailey (1674-1913; Digital Humanities Institute)Contains 197,745 criminal trials held at London's central criminal court.
- State Papers Online, The Government of Britain (1509-1714; Gale)Full text of British government materials, including State Papers, Domestic and Foreign. Click here for more information on State Papers.
- Statutes of the Realm (1205-1713; HeinOnline)Acts of Parliament.