•+Searching+Government+Resources

This wiki is for searching Government resources but important to understand it that this is not comprehensive. Government documentation and resources are massive and there are many ways to search different databases to get the information your looking for. Here are some very important tips for your searches:

**__Tips:__** = = = **__What are Government Resources?__** = toc For the purposes of this wiki, government resources are the databases of documents that the various levels of government of Canada keep and make accessible to the public on the internet. The Government of Canada keeps vast databases open to the public on nearly all the information it needs to operate. This information is broad including statistical data, policy documents, funding information, and regulations and information of every government service.
 * Avoid Google; government documents not indexed or in pdf formats so they do not necessarily show up in Google search results.
 * Use the A-Z department lists to refine your search by ministry.
 * Be persistent. The information you want is almost definitely in the database. Try changing your search terms (a familiarity with government terms is helpful).
 * Don’t be afraid to contact websites/librarians for help in searching.
 * Be wary. There is overlap in government services that can confuse your search so be certain about which level of government your interested in.
 * A good rule of thumb is that Federal government is in charge of things in general (especially the general laws on a topic) and lower levels detail it more specifically within the region of their jurisdiction.

These databases are divided by level of government:
 * Federal
 * Provincial
 * Municipal

They are separated by jurisdiction and services offered. It’s important to know which level of government you need to search for your answer.
 * Example**: if you’re looking into the regulations surrounding the zoning of a parking lot in Victoria, you’d go to the Municipal website.

= **__Why Should You Use Government Resources?__** =


 * 1) They offer a wealth of information about our country as a whole, as well as by jurisdiction.
 * 2) Any kind of research or professional writing that deals with statistics, education, health care, natural resources, jobs, and many more will need reference to the government.
 * 3) The government has standardized information, making it much easier to compare province to province, or municipality to municipality.


 * A warning: ** The government sites are a large maze that only gets bigger as you get further in. A pre-search (through Google, Wikipedia or something similar) will help with finding keywords, which are essential to navigating the websites and retrieving relevant information. The sites get simpler and clearer as you make your way down the government scale (municipal is easier to navigate than federal) and each has various ways to look things up, but knowing about your topic beforehand will save you a lot of frustration.

= Subject Guides =

The University of Victoria (and other universities) has their librarians put together resources to help with research in different subjects. The UVic library has subject guides for researching government publications across the world and for the Federal government of Canada as well as the Provincial government of BC. These are especially good resources for students as the librarians have designed these guides specifically for student use.



Links These subject guides offer easy links to various government databases that are sorted under the guides headings. Each link is paired with an abstract detailing the type of information found in the linked site.



Google Most excitingly, the Government Publications – Canada study guide offers a Google interface option which searches for Federal, Provincial, and Municipal documents. It differs from a normal Google search by searching only government databases and by including documents (such as pdf's) while leaving out news articles and other popular Google search results.



Librarian And if you aren't too proud, it is highly recommended you contact the librarian in charge of the government subject guides as she knows the subject well enough to create a guide about it.



= Federal Government of Canada =

This website is the most difficult to navigate. It is absolutely necessary that you know exactly what you're looking for, otherwise any search will bring up thousands of hits. There are many ways to refine searches, although most of these ways are slightly hidden.

==


 * __Different ways to search the federal site:__**

The Basic Search Bar -Using a single keyword, or keyword phrase in a basic search will bring up thousands of hits.

By clicking on the search link, you'll be directed to a page with an advanced search option. This will allow you to refine your search through keyword phrasing, dates, and file type. This will probably still get several thousand hits, but once you've executed the search, you'll be able to refine it further by government department and year.

A-Z Search

-This lists everything in the site alphabetically, along with alternative options (ex. "bank notes" has "see 'currency'" next to it).

FAQs

Divided into two sections: topic 25, and topic. -Topic is also available through the Online Forms and Services link in the Resources Centre section. - NOTE: This section is not ideal for research, as the information here is broad and often more of a practical nature.
 * __**Topic 25**__ is a list of the top 25 FAQs, including applying for EI or a SIN card, starting a business or how to prepare for emergencies.
 * __**Topic**__ gives the full list of frequently asked questions broken down into sections, from Aboriginal Peoples to Youth.

Help Most of the same resources above can be found here, as well as a "search by department" that also provides an alphabetical listing of links to the Government of Canada departments, agencies, crown corporations, special operating agencies, and various affiliated.

If the name of the organization you are looking for is not listed, try consulting the Financial Administration Act. It contains information on all current Government of Canada departments, agencies, Crown corporations and special operating agencies, and also includes a listing of organizations that no longer exist or that have been privatized. This is accessed through the “about Government” tab.

=Provincial Government of Canada=

The Province of BC website is an easy-to-navigate page in four major sections:
 * the facts and resources toolbar
 * the educational toolbar
 * the services, forms and ministries finder
 * the A-Z index and the service finder map

Tips: like the federal government website, it is important to know your topic before doing research on the provincial website. While it is easier to navigate, knowing your topic will save a lot of time. There is no advanced search option, so it is imperative that search terms are as specific and accurate as possible.

The facts and resources toolbar



-This is for people looking to retrieve information; not for people looking to be educated about BC's programs. -This section is formatted like a sitemap. Clicking on the "Families & Residents" link brings you to a page with all of the subsections and resources laid out on the page.

The educational toolbar

-This interactive section is for people looking to educate themselves on the province's plans and projects. -It covers 15 sections, from the BC budget and education plan, to the MLA contact information and provincial news section. -many of these sections offer a change to engage, find out more, and take action. The educational toolbar is a discussion more than a fact wall.

The services, forms and ministries finder



-This section has practical links and information.

The A-Z index and department finder -The A-Z index option displays all of the site's links in alphabetical order. -The service finder map is very useful to residents looking for services offered in their area. It functions like google maps or mapquest, allowing your to enter your address and the type of service you want, and displays the results available in the area.



= Municipal Government of Canada =

-This website is useful for residents of Victoria or tourists traveling to Victoria. It offers Victoria-specific information, from updates on the Johnson Street bridge to links for paying parking fines.



-This is laid out similarly to the provincial website, in that it has sitemap formatting. Moving the cursor over the links in the main toolbar brings up the entire list of resources and links.

-The quicklinks section offers practical information: maps, public notices, ticket payment and meetings of minutes, as opposed to the main toolbar, which has much more information, including plans for construction, applications for new businesses, and the economic development strategy for the city.



-The search button has an advanced search option that lets you chose the file type of the retrieved links and put quotation marks around your search phrase.

= __Sample Search:__ =


 * I'm going to do an example search for Aboriginal Education Trends. First I go to the Federal Government of Canada website because I'm looking for trends across the country and the federal government is in charge of Aboriginal relations. I click on the search button to get to the advanced search.




 * Now click on the advanced search link.




 * Okay, next I just fill in my search terms and the dates I want.

== = =


 * And now I hit search and take a look at the results.

== = =


 * Hmmm none of these are quite what I'm looking for. I think I'll start by narrowing by year so I can find out what the trends are currently. Let's click the 2011 link.




 * That one looks good! I'll start my research there.




 * And now I have found my first resource. Research ho!

=Other resources:=

Capital Regional Districts (CRD) Statistics Canada Wiki statistics page

Back To Top **__What are Government Resources__**For the purposes of this wiki, government resources are the databases of documents that the various levels of government of Canada keep and make accessible to the public on the interneThe Government of Canada keeps vast databases open to the public on nearly all the information it needs to operate. This information is broad including statistical data, policy documents, funding information, and regulations and information of every government serThese databases are divided by level of government:  · Federal  · Provincial  · CRD (Capital Regional District)  · Municipal They are separated by jurisdiction and services offered. It’s important to know which level of government you need to search for your answer. **Example**: if you’re looking into the regulations surrounding the zoning of a parking lot in Victoria, you’d go to the Municipal website . 