GOVERNMENT INFORMATION AS RECORDED IN CORE SERIALS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SCIENCES

Citation analysis was used to identify government documents and agencies cited by geologists in seven American geological serials published in 1985 representing both the broad scope and specialized subfields of the discipline. The purpose of the study was to analyze the use, age distribution, and accessibility of published government information by state, federal, and international agencies. In 1985, government document citations averaged 16 percent of all reference citations. Retrospective use of cited government information indicates that 80 percent of the citations are to literature produced in the last 20 to 25 years. References to early geological literature from the nineteenth century, particularly in paleontology, verifies that early state geological reports are also still important for basic research. © 1990.