Click here to return to the GPO Access home page.
General Searching Instructions
File Formats
U.S. Code Search Page

Home | Privacy | Site Search | Help | Comments
Site Contents | What's New | Online Bookstore | Finding Aids | Library Services

Government Information Locator Service
Helpful Hints

Fields | Identification Codes | Links to the World Wide Web | Sample Searches

The Government Information Locator Service (GILS) databases contain records to identify public information resources throughout the Federal government, describe information available in those sources, and provide assistance in obtaining information on those sources. GILS records describe the GILS holdings of a particular agency. The GILS database will be updated irregularly. Each GILS document is available as an ASCII text file and as an HTML file.

Fields

There are two types of fields in GILS records - mandatory and optional.

Mandatory GILS Elements

Field Name Database Field Name
  • Abstract
  • Access Constraints
  • Agency Program
  • Availability
  • Control Identifier
  • Controlled Vocabulary
  • Cross Reference
  • Date of Last Modification
  • Local Subject Index
  • Methodology
  • Original Control Identifier
  • Originator
  • Point of Contact for Further Information
  • Purpose
  • Record Source
  • Sources of Data
  • Spatial Reference
  • Schedule Number
  • Supplemental Information
  • Time Period of Content
  • Title
  • Use Constraints
  • abstract
  • accessconstraints
  • agencyprogram
  • availability
  • controlidentifier
  • controlledvocabulary
  • crossreference
  • dateoflastmodification
  • localsubjectindex
  • methodology
  • originalcontrolidentifier
  • originator
  • pointofcontactforfurther
    information
  • purpose
  • recordsource
  • sourcesofdata
  • spatialreference
  • schedulenumber
  • supplementalinformation
  • timeperiodofcontent
  • title
  • useconstraints

Optional GILS Elements

Field Name Database Field Name
  • Access Method
  • Acronym
  • Author
  • Available Linkage
  • Available Linkage Type
  • Available Time Period
  • City
  • Control Identifier
  • Country
  • Data Category
  • Data Set Type
  • Department/Agency Name
  • Dial-in
  • Distributor
  • Fax
  • Format
  • Geographic Name
  • Hours of Service
  • Index Terms Controlled
  • Local Subject Term
  • Major Organizational Subdivision
  • Minor Organizational Subdivision
  • Name
  • Network Address
  • Number of Pages
  • Number of Records
  • Order process
    • P
  • Organization
  • Originator
  • Publisher
  • Resource Description
  • Schedule Number
  • State
  • Status
  • Street Address
  • Technical Prerequisites
  • Telephone
  • Telnet
  • Thesaurus
  • Time Period Structured
  • Time Period Textual
  • WAIS
  • Zip Code
  • accessmethod
  • acronym
  • author
  • availablelinkage
  • availablelinkagetype
  • availabletimeperiod
  • city
  • controlidentifier
  • country
  • datacategory
  • datasettype
  • department/agencyname
  • dial-in
  • distributor
  • fax
  • format
  • geographicname
  • hoursofservice
  • indextermscontrolled
  • localsubjectterm
  • majororganizational
    subdivision
  • minororganizational
    subdivision
  • name
  • networkaddress
  • numberofpages
  • numberofrecords
  • orderprocess
  • organization
  • originator
  • publisher
  • resourcedescription
  • schedulenumber
  • state
  • status
  • streetaddress
  • technicalprerequisites
  • telephone
  • telnet
  • thesaurus
  • timeperiodstructured
  • timeperiodtextual
  • wais
  • zipcode

When searching via SWAIS (dial-in or telnet session) or a WAIS client, a field can be searched by typing the field name, followed by an equals sign (=), followed by the term or terms that are sought. Similarly, when searching via the World Wide Web, type in the field name, followed by an equals sign (=), followed by the term(s) sought or link to the ADVANCED searching pages which contain established fields. All queries that do not specify a field search the entire database.

Identification Codes

Each record in the GILS database online via GPO Access will be displayed in the results list with the database identification code followed by the initial words of the title. (ex: GILS: FCC Internet Site)

Links to the World Wide Web: Many records are provided in both text and HTML format. The HTML format records contain hot links to the World Wide Web. For example, when the results of the last query (listed below) come back, you may choose to view the first record in HTML format. The title of the record "Superintendent of Documents Home Page" is a hot link. Click on the title and you will automatically be linked to the site. This is only possible if you have a Web Browser.

Sample Searches (4)

The following sample searches are provided as guides to popular types of searches in the GILS databases.

Subject | Title | Originator | Full Record

1.  Search by Subject

This search demonstrates the use of the field "abstract". The abstract field contains a narrative description of the information resource. This query will only retrieve records with the word "pension" in the abstract.

Query: Abstract=pension
Results: GILS: PBGC Annual Premium Filings

2. Search by Title

This search demonstrates how to search on the "title" field. It also demonstrates the functioning of the ADJ operator (or use of a phrase in quotation marks). This query will only retrieve records with the words "federal register" in the title. The title field conveys the most significant information available about the resource, including the general topic area and specific reference to the subject.

Query: title="federal register"
Alternative: title=federal ADJ register
Results: GILS: The Federal Register Online via GPO Access

3. Search by Originator

This search demonstrates how to search on the "originator" field. It is helpful to use this if you want only resources that originate from a specific agency. The lower case "of" in the alternate query is a stop word (unlike a Boolean operator such as AND), so its presence will have no effect on the search results.

Query: originator="office personnel management"
Results: GILS: Federal Job Information Center (FJIC) Touch

4. Search by Full Record

This search demonstrates how to search the full text of a GILS record. It also demonstrates the functioning of the OR operator. Records with the word "internet "or "web" located in any field will appear in the results list.

Query: internet OR web
Results: GILS: Superintendent of Documents Homepage on the World GILS: FCC Internet Site

A service of the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office.
Questions or comments: gpoaccess@gpo.gov.

 

Last updated:  April 17, 2001
Page Name:  http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/help/hints/gils.html