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Proceedings of the 7th Annual
Federal Depository Library Conference

April 20 - 23, 1998

Cover/Title Page  | Table of Contents  |  Agenda

The SEC Website as a Reference Source: The EDGAR Database and Beyond

Ruth S. Pitt
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Washington, DC

 

timeline of Internet development bar chart of Web site development

bar chart of SEC Web site development

The SEC's Web site: www.sec.gov
  • Grew out of an experimental EDGAR Web site offered by a university
  • SEC's initial offering added:

News

Rulemaking

Enforcement Actions

SEC Information

Investor Information

Links to Related Sites
  • resources on SEC Web siteHas become a means of doing SEC business, as well as a public information resource

 

How Is the Public Using the SEC Web site?

  • Investment research

Company and industry information

Investment basics

How to avoid scams, etc.
  • Legal research

Securities-related

Other matters, using company information
  • Making complaints about fraud (Complaint Center)
  • Schoolwork (from middle school-level on up)
  • Other uses as well (job search, "raw material" for value-added company information services, etc.)

How Is the SEC Using the SEC Web site?
  • Publishing
  • Educating the public
  • Soliciting public input on proposed rules and other matters
  • Communicating with its registrants (companies, brokers, etc.)

• Researching, in much the same manner as members of the public

What's Being Used on the SEC Web site
  • 80 to 85% of the site's output is EDGAR data (16-17 GB out of a typical 20-GB weekday)
  • The remainder is a mix of the other offerings:

Investor education materials are among the most popular ...

But use of news, rulemaking, and SEC legal actions is also significant

Some Popular Pages on the SEC Web site*
  • SEC News Digest index
  • Investor Education home page
  • Staff Legal Bulletin No. 5 (re: Year 2000 disclosure)
  • Proposed Rules index
  • Employment Opportunities
  • Press Releases index
  • Litigation Releases index
  • Concept Releases index

*Does not include EDGAR searches or documentation

Using the SEC Web site for Research:

A Live Demonstration, including

  • EDGAR
  • Other materials on the site

Future Plans for the SEC Web site
  • Improved EDGAR and site searches
  • Ability to download SEC paper forms in PDF (AcrobatÒ ) format
  • Expanded SRO Rulemaking section
  • More SEC program (Division, Office) information
  • Revised Investor Education offering

WAIS Search Tips
  • Use connectors!

To form a two-word phrase (ADJ = "adjacent to"):

Boston ADJ Chicken

To limit the search:

Downes AND Accounting
  • Avoid searching on overly common words

For example, don't use "Inc." or "Corp." to search for a company

For EDGAR Archives

  • Use the CIK (Central Index Key) if you know it:

For example, 0000065100 = Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc.
  • Limit your search by date or form type - or both:

0000065100 AND 1997* AND 8-K

(gives 8-K change reports for Merrill Lynch during 1997; date format is YYYYMMDD; note use of asterisk for wildcard)

Questions & Answers
  • On the SEC Web site and the current EDGAR system
Cover/Title Page  | Table of Contents  |  Agenda

A service of the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office.
Questions or comments: asklps@gpo.gov.
Last updated: May 1, 2002  
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