Sample Searches and URLs for Congressional Documents

Congressional Documents can be searched using the Simple Search Box and the Advanced Search page. Once results are displayed, you can narrow your search results by clicking on links in the Narrow Your Search panel on the left hand side of the page. The sections under Narrow Your Search correspond to the metadata available for the documents. Congressional Documents specific links to narrow your search results will be displayed after you click on Congressional Documents under the Collection category.

Retrieve by Citation search can be used to retrieve a single Congressional Documents document in PDF format if you know the citation of the document. Congressional Documents can also be browsed in the Browse Government Publications area.

The following sections give examples of searches that you may want to use for the Congressional Documents collection in FDsys.

Search Congressional Documents by Committee

These examples will search for documents with the word budget in the committee name.

Using the Simple Search Box, enter one of the following

collection:cdoc and committee:budget
collection:cdoc committee:budget

Using the Advanced Search page,

Select Congressional Documents from Available Collections in the box
Click Add to add Congressional Documents to the Selected Collections box
Select Committees under Search In
Enter budget in textbox marked for

These examples will search for documents from the Committee on the Budget.

Using the Simple Search Box, enter

collection:cdoc
Using the Narrow Your Search links, click Congressional Documents from the Collection category
Using the Narrow Your Search links, click Committee on the Budget from the Committee category

Using the Advanced Search page,

Select Congressional Documents from Available Collections in the box
Click Add to add Congressional Documents to the Selected Collections box
Click Search button
Using the Narrow Your Search links, click Committee on the Budget from the Committee category

Search Congressional Documents by Document number

These examples will search for documents with the number 35 from any Congress.

Using the Simple Search Box, enter one of the following

collection:cdoc and docnumber:35
collection:cdoc docnumber:35

Using the Advanced Search page,

Select Congressional Documents from Available Collections in the box
Click Add to add Congressional Documents to the Selected Collections box
Select Document Number under Search In
Enter 35 in textbox marked for

Search Congressional Documents by Keyword and Committee

These examples will search for documents with the word budget in the committee name and the word reform in the text or metadata.

Using the Simple Search Box, enter one of the following

reform and collection:cdoc and committee:budget
reform collection:cdoc committee:budget

Using the Advanced Search page,

Select Congressional Documents from Available Collections in the box
Click Add to add Congressional Documents to the Selected Collections box
Select Committees under Search In
Enter budget in textbox marked for
Select Full-Text of Publications and Metadata under Search In
Enter reform in textbox marked for

These examples will search for documents from the Committee on the Budget with the word reform in the text or metadata.

Using the Simple Search Box, enter

reform collection:cdoc
Using the Narrow Your Search links, click Congressional Documents from the Collection category
Using the Narrow Your Search links, click Committee on the Budget from the Committee category

Using the Advanced Search page,

Select Congressional Documents from Available Collections in the box
Click Add to add Congressional Documents to the Selected Collections box
Select Full-Text of Publications and Metadata under Search In
Enter reform in textbox marked for
Click Search button
Using the Narrow Your Search links, click Committee on the Budget from the Committee category

Search for Congessional Documents by Keyword and Date Range

These examples will search for documents from May 1, 2008 to May 15, 2008 with the word reform in the text or metadata.

Using the Simple Search Box, enter one of the following

reform and collection:cdoc and publishdate:range(2008-05-01, 2008-05-15)
reform collection:cdoc publishdate:range(2008-05-01, 2008-05-15)

Using the Advanced Search page,

Select Date is Between under Publication Date
Select May in Month pulldown
Select 1 in the Day pulldown
Select 2008 in the Year pulldown
Select May in Month pulldown
Select 15 in the Day pulldown
Select 2008 in the Year pulldown
Select Congressional Documents from Available Collections in the box
Click Add to add Congressional Documents to the Selected Collections box
Select Full-Text of Publications and Metadata under Search In
Enter reform in textbox marked for

Search Congressional Documents by Document Type, Congress Number, Document Number and Document Heading

These examples will search for Senate documents from the 109th Congress.

Using the Simple Search Box, enter one of the following

collection:cdoc and congress:109 and chamber:senate
collection:cdoc congress:109 chamber:senate

Using the Advanced Search page,

Select Congressional Documents from Available Collections in the box
Click Add to add Congressional Documents to the Selected Collections box
Select Congress Number under Search In
Enter 109 in textbox marked for
Click on Add more search criteria link
Select Chamber of Congress under Search In
Select Senate from the drop-down menu

Sample Congressional Documents URLs

FDsys uses two key pieces of information to construct predictable URLs to documents and the More Information pages. The Package ID is used to identify an individual document. The Granule ID is used to identify volumes, parts or errata that may exist for a single document.

Identifier

Structure/Metadata Field

Example

Package ID

CDOC-{Congress Number}{Document Type}{Document Number}

Note: Document Type is hprt (House Document), sprt (Senate Document), or tdoc (Senate Treaty Document).

CDOC-105hdoc123

Granule ID

Multiple Parts:

{Package ID}-pt{Part Number}

Multiple Volumes:

{Package ID}-vol{Volume Number}

Volumes and Parts:

{Package ID}-vol{Volume Number}-pt{Part Number}

Errata:

{Package ID}-err{Errata Number}

Note: Errata Number is only used when there are multiple errata. The first errata will not use Errata Number, however the second errata would have 2 as the Errata Number.

Multiple Parts:

CDOC-111hdoc129-pt3

Multiple Volumes:

CDOC-106sdoc4-vol3

Volumes and Parts:

CDOC-106sdoc4-vol3-pt2

Errata:

CDOC-110tdoc5-err

More Information Page for a Congressional Document (Single Part or Volume)

Structure: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/{Package ID}/{Package ID}/content-detail.html

Example: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/granule/CDOC-105hdoc123/CDOC-105hdoc123/content-detail.html

PDF File for a Congressional Document (Single Part or Volume)

Structure: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/{Package ID}/pdf/{Package ID}.pdf

Example: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CDOC-105hdoc123/pdf/CDOC-105hdoc123.pdf

HTML File for a Congressional Document (Single Part or Volume)

Structure: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/{Package ID}/html/{Package ID}.htm

Example: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CDOC-105hdoc123/html/CDOC-105hdoc123.htm

More Information Page for a Part, Volume or Errata of a Congressional Document

Structure: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/granule/{Package ID}/{Granule ID}/content-detail.html

Example: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/granule/CDOC-106sdoc4/CDOC-106sdoc4-vol3/content-detail.html

PDF File for a Part, Volume or Errata of a Congressional Document

Structure: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/{Package ID}/pdf/{Granule ID}.pdf

Example: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CDOC-106sdoc4/pdf/CDOC-106sdoc4-vol3.pdf

HTML File for a Part, Volume or Errata of a Congressional Document

Structure: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/{Package ID}/html/{Granule ID}.htm

Example: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CDOC-106sdoc4/html/CDOC-106sdoc4-vol3.htm

Sample Congressional Document Citation URLs

Additionally, the Document Type, Congress Number, Document Number and Heading can be used to construct URLs using the citation of the document.

PDF File for a Congressional Document Citation

Structure: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/search/citation.result.CDOC.action?congressionalDocuments.doctype={Type}&congressionalDocuments.congressnum={Congress Number}&congressionalDocuments.docnumber={Document Number}&publication=CDOC&action%3Acitation.result.CDOC=Retrieve+Document

Example: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/search/citation.result.CDOC.action?congressionalDocuments.doctype=HDOC&congressionalDocuments.congressnum=111&congressionalDocuments.docnumber=1&publication=CDOC&action%3Acitation.result.CDOC=Retrieve+Document

Note: Type is HDOC for House Documents, SDOC for Senate Documents, and TDOC for Senate Treaty Documents.

PDF File for a Congressional Document Citation with Multiple Parts, Volumes or Errata

Structure: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/search/citation.result.CDOC.action?congressionalDocuments.doctype={Type}&congressionalDocuments.congressnum={Congress Number}&congressionalDocuments.docnumber={Document Number}&congressionalDocuments.heading={Document Heading}&publication=CDOC&action%3Acitation.result.CDOC=Retrieve+Document

Example: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/search/citation.result.CDOC.action?congressionalDocuments.doctype=SDOC&congressionalDocuments.congressnum=111&congressionalDocuments.docnumber=17&congressionalDocuments.heading=Part+II&publication=CDOC&action%3Acitation.result.CDOC=Retrieve+Document

Notes:

1. Type is HDOC for House Documents, SDOC for Senate Documents, and TDOC for Senate Treaty Documents.

2. Heading is formatted as one of the following:

Part+{Part Number} where Part Number is the roman numeral value (I, II, III, IV, etc.)
Volume+{Volume Number} where Volume Number is 1, 2, 3, etc.
Errata for errata or Errata+{Errata Number} where Errat Number is 1, 2, 3, etc.

G P O ' S F E D E R A L D I G I T A L S Y S T E M