GSU Library Research Guides: Public Management & Policy: Web Resources

Evaluating web sources

Remember to ask yourself questions like these when evaluating information on freely-available Internet sites:

Who sponsors the site?

What is the purpose of the site?

What are the credentials of those who provide the content?

Are sources listed? Where did the authors get the information?

How current is the information?

Based on NCCAM Publication No. D142

February 19, 2002

From the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: http://nccam.nih.gov/health/webresources

United States Conference of Mayors
Nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. Provides a wealth of information for municipal public officials, city residents, and others interested in municipal affairs or particular cities.
State of the Cities Data Systems (SOCDS)
Provides data for individual Metropolitan Areas, Central Cities, and Suburbs.
National Association of Counties
Highlights and strives to improve the understanding of county issues. Collects, researches, publishes and disseminates a variety of different information for and about counties.
The Pew Center on the States
Works to advance state policies that serve the public interest. Conducts credible research, brings together diverse perspectives, and analyzes states’ experiences to determine what works and what does not.
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices
Publishes research reports, policy analyses, issue briefs, and a variety of other materials on timely issues related to state governance.
PD&R Research
PD&R undertakes studies and issues reports on HUD programs to determine how well they are achieving their objectives and how they can be improved. PD&R also conducts studies and issues reports on housing and community development matters not tied directly to HUD programs.

Congressional Research Service Reports
CRS writes analyses of public policy issues, especially of legislative proposals, for use by Congressmen. This site uses a pre-set Google search to search within the text of the reports which have been posted online.
Policy Library
Searchable database containing links to thousands of policy and research papers. Use the category links in the top right under Resources.

FedSpending.org
Search federal contract spending and federal assistance spending, including grants, loans, insurance, and direct payments (e.g. Social Security), from FY 2000.
USAspending.gov
USA Spending tracks federal spending to ensure taxpayers can see how their money is being used in communities across America. Learn more on how this money was spent with tools to help you navigate spending from top to bottom.
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
We are a nonpartisan research and policy institute. We pursue federal and state policies designed both to reduce poverty and inequality and to restore fiscal responsibility in equitable and effective ways.