Policy Researcher Tutorial

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17. Congressional Hearings (Testimonies)

How do I find Testimony (Congressional Hearings) to understand legislative intent of a particular law?

In Lexis/Nexis Congressional, choose the Advanced Search tab in the search box. In the "Search Within" section, deselect all but the "Hearings (1824-present)" option. Selected testimony transcripts and submtted statements since 1988 are available to University of Michigan affiliates. The people who testify include lobbyists, members of the Executive Branch, and outside experts. This is an excellent source for lobby group opinions. Why might a witness represent a particular issue before Congress? How should I approach such testimony from stakeholders and lobbyists? Watch for inclusion of journal articles, photographs, letters, and statistics within the published hearings.

For more on finding the text of hearings see the Document Center's Guide. Printed hearings back to 1997 can be found in the Documents Center. They are also available on microfiche since 1817.

Research Tip:

Successful research depends on:

Insight into the cogency and logic of arguments set forth by advocates of varying points of view

The ability to develop well-structured options for addressing policy issues

Recording all pertinent citation information for future reference in APA style. For examples of legal materials in APA style, see Citing Legal Materials in APA Style (Westfield State College - Ely Library)