docs: def get_resource(self, uri, resource_type=None, response_format=None):
  
  		'''
  		Retrieve resource:
  			- Issues an initial GET request
  			- If 200, continues, 404, returns False, otherwise raises Exception
  			- Parse resource type
  				- If custom resource type parser provided, this fires
  				- Else, or if custom parser misses, fire HEAD request and parse LDP resource type from Link header
  			- Return instantiated pyfc4 resource
  
  		Args:
  			uri (rdflib.term.URIRef,str): input URI
  			resource_type (): resource class e.g. BasicContainer, NonRDFSource, or extensions thereof
  			response_format (str): expects mimetype / Content-Type header such as 'application/rdf+xml', 'text/turtle', etc.
  
  		Returns:
  			Resource
  		'''
  
  		# handle uri
  		uri = self.parse_uri(uri)
  
  		# remove fcr:metadata if included, as handled below
  		if uri.toPython().endswith('/fcr:metadata'):
  			uri = rdflib.term.URIRef(uri.toPython().rstrip('/fcr:metadata'))
  
  		# fire GET request
  		get_response = self.api.http_request(
  			'GET',
  			"%s/fcr:metadata" % uri,
  			response_format=response_format)
  
  		# 404, item does not exist, return False
  		if get_response.status_code == 404:
  			logger.debug('resource uri %s not found, returning False' % uri)
  			return False
  
  		# assume exists, parse headers for resource type and return instance
  		elif get_response.status_code == 200:
  
  			# if resource_type not provided
  			if not resource_type:
  
  				# if custom resource type parser affixed to repo instance, fire
  				if self.custom_resource_type_parser:
  					logger.debug("custom resource type parser provided, attempting")
  					resource_type = self.custom_resource_type_parser(self, uri, get_response)
  
  				# parse LDP resource type from headers if custom resource parser misses,
  				# or not provided
  				if not resource_type:
  					# Issue HEAD request to get LDP resource type from URI proper, not /fcr:metadata
  					head_response = self.api.http_request('HEAD', uri)
  					resource_type = self.api.parse_resource_type(head_response)
  
  			logger.debug('using resource type: %s' % resource_type)
  
  			# return resource
  			return resource_type(self,
  				uri,
  				response=get_response)
  
  		else:
  			raise Exception('HTTP %s, error retrieving resource uri %s' % (get_response.status_code, uri))