Business Research Sources -ch 30: Washington Information Directory

30. Washington Information Directory

Description of Publication: Washington Information Directory

Anyone who needs to contact a governmental organization or person in Washington should not be without this book. The editors of this directory have organized more than 5,000 information sources into 19 chapters on different subjects. These chapters list names, addresses, and telephone numbers of members of Congress and officials of federal departments and agencies as well as private nonprofit groups in the Washington area. Each entry describes the work and responsibilities of the organization listed. The Washington Information Directory includes a section on the Internet and Related Technologies as well as an enlarged section on Executive Reorganization. It also features e-mail addresses of many agencies, congressional offices, and nonprofit groups; and eight new organization charts.

The Washington Information Directory is designed to make your search for information easy and quick. Each of the 18

chapters in the directory (see the table of contents) covers a broad subject area. You will find, for example, chapters on energy, health, science and space, and national security. Within the chapters, information is grouped in narrower subject areas. A detailed table of contents can be found at the beginning of each chapter. This subject arrangement allows you to find in one place the departments and agencies of the federal government, congressional committees, and private, nonprofit organizations in the nation's capital that have the information you need.

The directory divides information sources into three categories: (1) agencies, (2) Congress, and (3) nongovernmental organizations. When you look up a subject, you usually will find entries under all three categories. Each entry includes the name, address, and telephone number of the organization; the name and title of the director or the best person to contact for information; and a brief description of the work performed by the organization.
Students have a tendency to call first and contemplate second. This process generally doesn't work well because hardworking Washingtonian bureaucrats have this thing about being called with ill-conceived questions from what has often been called the sticks, the hinterlands, and other names of affection for the outlanders like us. So when you are writing or calling:

Start with a specific question. If necessary, do some homework before you contact a source (don't call the Department of Commerce, for example, and say, "Have you got any information on automobiles?").
Call the information telephone number first. Often you can get the answer you need without going further. If not, a quick explanation of your query should put you in touch with the person who can answer your question. Rarely will you need to talk to the top administrator.
Call or write your own member of Congress rather than a congressional committee. Your representative has staff people assigned to answer questions from constituents. Contact a committee only if you have a technical question that cannot be answered elsewhere.
Address letters to the director of an office or organization. Your letter will be sent to the person who can answer your question.
Keep in mind the agency or organization, not the name of the director. Personnel changes in Washington are common. When someone retires or moves, that individual's office and telephone number usually remain the same.

All addresses and telephone numbers in the Washington Information Directory are in Washington, D.C., unless otherwise indicated. Each Washington entry includes the name of the agency or organization, the building or street address, the Zip code, and the telephone number. The area code for the District of Columbia telephone numbers (202) is not included.

Another definitive tool to help you navigate the global business and foreign policy community in Washington is The Washington Almanac of International Trade & Business. When you need to find the right information about the international landscape in Washington and the individual who knows it, there is no substitute for a comprehensive, proven reference of those to contact. Call Almanac Publishing Inc., (202) 296-2297.
Something to Think About
CAP stands for Capitol in the WID. What do the letters H and S before the room numbers of congressional members and committees indicate? What does the acronym CHOB stand for? Can you find the phone number of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee?

Something to Think About

CAP stands for Capitol in the WID. What do the letters H and S before the room numbers of congressional members and committees indicate? What does the acronym CHOB stand for? Can you find the phone number of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee?