Official Document System of the United Nations (ODS)
Scope: Indexes almost all UN masthead documents and Official Records issued since 1993,
as well as many published previously.
Limitation: Does not cover sales publications or miscellaneous periodicals
Tip 1: Never use the Simple Search. The Advanced Search is as easy to use and provides
more options.
Tip 2: When searching by document symbol (e.g., A/60/1) in the Advanced Search
interface, disable truncation by clicking the radio button for
None to the right of the words,
Symbol truncation.
Note: The Global Search uses the Google search engine.
UNBISnet: Bibliographic Records
Scope: The most complete and useful index of UN documents, publications, and articles
issued since 1979. Provides links to full-text documents in
ODS, when available.
Tip 1: Begin all subject and author searches for UN documents published since 1979 in
this database. The subject indexing is better here than in
ODS.
Tip 2: Records usually contain too many descriptors, making it difficult to identify
the main texts on a given topic. So when seeking items issued since 1999, search by primary
subject, which in the pull-down menu appears as follows:
Subject (Primary Subj., 1999-).
AccessUN
Scope: Not nearly as complete as
UNBISnet for the period 1979 to date. But many documents
published before 1978 have online records only in this index.
Limitation 1: Records contain too many subject headings, making it difficult to find
the main documents on a given topic.
Limitation 2: Records seldom include links to full-text items.
Tip: Use
UNBISnet, instead of AccessUN, to identify documents
published since 1979.
Caution: Any group of two or more words is treated as a phrase unless
AND is inserted between the words.
UNBISnet: Voting Records
Scope: Indexes resolutions adopted by the Security Council since its founding in 1946
and for General Assembly resolutions adopted since 1977. Records link to full-text documents in
ODS.
Limitation: Provides no subject access.
UNBISnet: Index to Speeches
Scope: Covers speeches made in the General Assembly, Security Council, and Economic and
Social Council since 1983, and in Trusteeship Council meetings since 1982. Most records incorporate
links to the full text.
Documents
Scope: Use this site to browse links to key full-text documents, such as resolutions
and the Secretary-General's reports. Also includes links to UN databases and web sites of special
importance.
Limitation: Provides no subject access to documents.
United Nations Treaty
Collection
The most complete collection of full-text international treaties.
Intergovernmental Organization Search Engine
Uses the Google search engine to provide access to UN and other IGO web sites.
David N. Griffiths. 2008. Using UN information resources: A guide for general reference
librarians in academic settings.
Reference Services Review
36, no. 2:119-146.
United Nations Documents at
the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign: A User's Guide
Provides essential information on the use of United Nations information resources on the
campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
United Nations Documentation: Research
Guide
An introductory research guide to UN information.
LexisNexis Statistical
Indexes UN documents in almost comprehensive fashion.
Millennium Development Goals Indicators
Monthly Bulletin of Statistics Online
The Progress of Nations
State of the World's Children reports
UN Comtrade (United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics
Database)
Identifies the reported market share of 120 to 140 countries or areas by commodity and
trading partner.
UN News Centre
Includes full-text searching of
press releases for 1995 to date, full-text
magazines, and
UN Links, which connects the user to
the full-text news sources of UN bodies and other IGOs around the world.
UN Pulse
Provides announcements of the most important UN documents and publications.
Permanent Missions to the United Nations
Provides links to websites of the permanent missions at UN Headquarters.
United Nations Workstation at Yale
Includes texts, finding aids, data sets, maps, and pointers to print and electronic
information.
University LibraryFor comments on this page contact: Government Documents Library
Last modified by: David Griffiths on 6/1/09