Finding U.S. Geological Survey Publications
GeoRef
- "The GeoRef database covers the geology of North America from 1785 to the present and the geology of the rest of the world from 1933 to the present. The database includes references to all publications of the U.S. Geological Survey." Please note that because this is a subscription database, it is available only to GVSU students, faculty and staff.
New Publications of the U.S. Geological Survey
- Browse lists of publications broken down by month and format. Also available as an RSS feed.
Bibliography and Index of Geology
- Location: MAIN Periodicals--Indexes
- Call #: QE75 .B52
- The print version of GeoRef, this paper index can be found on the fourth floor of the Zumberge Library.
While you will want to start any search for a specific item in the Library Catalog, many individual USGS reports that GVSU owns cannot yet be found using the catalog. We are working to correct this.
To find the individual USGS report you are looking for, you need to make sure you know:
| 1. the name of the report series (Professional Papers, Open-File Reports, etc.) |
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AND
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| 2. the report number (in GeoRef, this is found in the Standard No. Field near the bottom of the detailed record) |
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Below, you will find call numbers to many of the major report series of the USGS. To find the print version of the report you are looking for, find the call number of the report series and then add the report number onto the call after the colon. Not every USGS report series is listed below, so if you are having trouble locating the call number to the series you are looking for check with the Government Documents librarian or the library Reference Desk.
The USGS is making more and more reports available online. When examining the results in GeoRef, if the document is available online there should be a link to the report in the Access Field of the detailed record. A search for the title of the report in Google's Uncle Sam search engine is also an effective way of finding reports available online.
Professional Papers
- Location: Main U.S. Government Documents
- Call #: I 19.16: (Report #)
- "Professional Papers are mainly comprehensive scientific reports of wide and lasting interest and importance to professional scientists and engineers. Included are reports on the results of resource studies, and of topographic, hydrologic, and geologic investigations. They also include collections of related papers addressing different aspects of a single scientific topic."
Bulletins
- Location: Main U.S. Government Documents
- Call #: I 19.3: (Report #)
- "Bulletins contain significant data and interpretations that are of lasting scientific interest but are generally more limited in scope or geographic coverage than professional papers. They include the results of resource studies and of geologic and topographic investigations, as well as collections of short papers related to a specific topic."
Circulars
- Location: Main U.S. Government Documents
- Call #: I 19.4/2: (Report #)
- "Circulars present technical or nontechnical information of wide popular interest in a format designed for distribution at no cost to the public. They are published to disseminate administrative information or important scientific information of an ephemeral nature."
Water-Supply Papers
- Locations: Main U.S. Government Documents & Main U.S. Government Documents--Microtext
- Call #: I 19.13: (Report #)
- "Water-Supply Papers are comprehensive reports that present significant interpretive results of hydrologic investigations of wide interest to professional geologists, hydrologists, and engineers. The series covers investigations in all phases of hydrology, including hydrogeology, availability of water, quality of water, and use of water."
Open-File Reports
- Locations: Main U.S. Government Documents & Main U.S. Government Documents--Microtext
- Call #: I 19.76: (Report #)
- "Open-file reports include unpublished manuscript reports, maps, and other materials that are made available for public consultation at depositories. They are a nonpermanent form of publication that may be cited in other publications as sources of information."
Water-Resources Investigations Reports
- Location: Main U.S. Government Documents
- Call #: I 19.42/4: (Report #)
- "Water-Resources Investigations Reports are papers that are of an interpretive nature made available to the public outside the formal USGS publications series. . . A few Water-Resources Investigations Reports are available online."
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