APA Citation Style doesn't have a separate category for government publications. Instead, government documents should be cited as books (APA 6.27, 7.02), technical/research reports (APA 7.03), or brochures.
Note: In text, the agency's name is usually spelled out each time it occurs. If the agency name is familiar, you may abbreviate it in 2nd and subsequent citations. If the name is short or if the abbreviation would not be easily understandable, spell out the name each time it occurs. Use brackets to indicate the abbreviation you intend to use in subsequent citations. Ex. (National Institutes of Mental Health [NIMH], 2003.) Subsequent citations would look like this: (NIMH, 2003).
U.S. Congressional Publications
(APA A7.05; Bluebook Rule 13).
When citing United States legislative material except debates, include the title (if relevant), the abbreviated name of the house (H.R. or S.), the number assigned to the material, the number of the Congress, and the year of publication (in parentheses).
Government Document (SEE RULES FOR CITING GOVERNMENT DOCS - ABOVE)
(APA 7.03)
Reference List
Print Citation - Ex. 1
Print Citation - Ex. 2
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2008). Urban and regional planners. In Occupational Outlook Handbook (Bulletin 2700, pp. 197-199). Indianapolis, IN: JIST.
If no person is named as author, use the government agency, department, or branch as a group author. Give the name of the group author exactly as it appears on the title page. Spell out the entire name; no abbreviations. If the branch or agency is not well known, include its higher department first. (Ex. U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Office of Child Development, Children's Bureau.)
Place information about editions, volume numbers, and page numbers in parentheses following the title, with the period after the parentheses.
When the author and publisher are the same, use the word "Author" as the name of the publisher.
Online Citation - Ex. 1
Online Citation - Ex. 2
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2012). Urban and regional planners. In Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/urban-and-regional-planners.htm
For reports retrieved online. identify the publisher as part of the retrieval statement unless the publisher has been identified as the author. (Ex. Retrieved from Agency name website: http://www.xxxxxxx).
For more tips on citing government sources, check out the Government Publication section under the Books tab.
General Format
In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):
(Government Author, Year)
In-Text Citation (Quotation):
(Government Author, Year, page or paragraph number [if available])
References:
Government Name. Name of Government Agency. (Year). Title of document: Subtitle (Report No. xxx [if available]). URL of specific document
Example
In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):
(Environment Canada, 2004)
In-Text Citation (Quotation):
(Environment Canada, 2004)
References:
Environment Canada. Canadian Wildlife Service. (2004). The 1995 peregrine falcon survey in Canada. U. Banasch & G. Holroyd (Eds). (Occasional Paper no. 110). http://www.cws-scf.ec.gc.ca/publications/AbstractTemplate.cfm?lang=e&id=1067
TIP: To abbreviate or not abbreviate?
QUESTION: If I am citing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the in-text citation, do I need to use the full name or can I just use CDC?
ANSWER: If the corporate author names (corporations, organizations, and government agencies) are readily identified by an abbreviation, you should include the full name in the first citation along with the abbreviation in brackets and then use the abbreviation in all other subsequent in-text citations.
Example: First in-text citation
Example: Subsequent in-text citations
In the title, after the semicolon, note what kind of action it is. This information is just after the agency information and is labeled.
"Title; Action," [volume number] Federal Register [no.] (date), pp.
"Odorant Fade in Railroad Tank Cars; Notice of Safety Advisory," 77 Federal Register 72 (13 April 2012), pp. 22381-22383.
CFR is issued every year. Be sure to include which year you're citing.
"Part Name," Title [number] Code of Federal Regulations, Pt. [number]. edition.
"Rules and Regulations Governing Smithsonian Institution Buildings and Grounds," Title 36 Code of Federal Regulations, Pt. 504. 2012 ed.
Include as much information about the document as you can, including the complete title. The edition statement, where applicable, will note whether the item is a preliminary, advance, or final report. See Garner and Cheney for more information.
Full Title: Subtitle by Personal Name ([Census report number]). Edition Place: Publisher, year.
U.S. Census, 1790: Heads of Families. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1908.
U.S. Census, 1850: Statistical View of the United States . . . Compendium of the Seventh Census by J.D.B. DeBow. Washington: A.O.P. Nicholson, Public Printer, 1854.
U.S. Census of Manufacturers, 1967: Vol. II, Industry Statistics: Pt. I Major Groups 20-24. Final Report. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1971.
U.S. Census of Population, 1970: Subject Reports: American Indians (PC(2)-IF). Final Report. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1973.
Cite the Stats Abstract like any other book. Note that beginning in 2013, the Stats Abstract is published by ProQuest, not GPO.
"Table title," No. [of table], p.[of table]. In Title. Edition. Place: Publisher, year.
"Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts -- Membership and Units: 1970 to 1989," No. 410, p. 241. In Statistical Abstract of the United States, 1991. 111th ed. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1991.
When citing legal documents, it is typical to use abbreviations. Here are some of the most common legal/governmental abbreviations according to The Bluebook
Annotated - Annot.
Article - art.
Clause - cl.
U. S. Congress - Cong.
Congressional Record - Cong. Rec.
United States Constitution - U.S. Const.
Division - div.
Document - doc.
Federal Register - Fed. Reg.
Federal Reporter - F.
Federal Reporter, Second Series - F.2d
Federal Reporter, Third Series - F.3d
Federal Supplement - F. Supp
House of Representatives - H.R.
House of Representatives Document - H.R. Doc.
House of Representatives Report - H.R. Rep.
Legislation, Legislative - Legis.
Legislature - Leg.
The Northeastern Reporter, Second Series - N.E.2d
Ohio - Ohio (no abbreviation)
Ohio Appellate Reports, Third Series - Ohio App.3d
Ohio Miscellaneous Reports, Second Series - Ohio Misc.2d
Ohio Revised Code - Ohio Rev. Code
Ohio State Reports, Third Series - Ohio St.3d
Ohio Supreme Court - Ohio Sup. Ct.
Preamble - pmbl.
Public Law - Pub. L.
Regulation - reg.
Report - rep.
Resolution - Res.
Revised - rev.
Senate - S.
Senate Document - S. Doc.
Statutes at Large - Stat.
Supreme Court (United States) - U.S.
Supreme Court Reporter - S. Ct.
United States Code - U.S.C.
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United States Statutes at Large |
Reference List
Capitalize the first letter of words in the names of laws, court cases, and regulations (referred to as "title case").
The Act above was the 266th public law of the 108th session of Congress. It is located in volume 118 of the United States Statutes at Large , p. 791.
Abbreviate the source as specified in the Bluebook.
In the Text
Marine Turtle Conservation Act of 2004.
Marine Turtle Conservation Act (2004).
In text, give the popular or official name of the act (if any) and the year of the act.
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United States Code (APA A7.04, ex. 11; |
Reference list
In the reference list entry, give the popular or official name of the act (if any) and the year of the act. Include the source and section number of the statute, and in parentheses, give the publication date of the statutory compilation, which may be different from the year in the name of the act.
Abbreviate the source as specified in the Bluebook.
Do not italicize the abbreviation for United States Code (U.S.C.) or United States Code Annoted (U.S.C.A.). Capitalize the first letter of major words in the names of laws , court cases, and regulations (referred to as "title case").
Citing to the U.S.C. or U.S.C.A. is the preferred method of citing legislation, because codified legislation is usually easier to work with and retrieve than is a session law.
The citation above is located in title 16 of the United States Code Annotated. "Et seq." is a Latin phrase meaning "and following" and is a shorthand way of showing that the act covers not just the initial section cited, but also others that follow the initial session. The text in parentheses indicates that the United States Code Annotated is published by West publishing and that 2010 is the publication date of the volume in which the cited sections can be found.
In the Text
Marine Turtle Conservation Act of 2004.
Marine Turtle Conservation Act (2004).
In text, give the popular or official name of the act (if any) and the year of the act.
Ohio Revised Code
(APA A7.04, ex. 10;
Bluebook Rule 12, Table T1)
Reference List
Abbreviate the source as specified in the Bluebook.
The citation above refers to Title 33 of the Ohio Revised Code Annotated, Section 3305.08, published in Baldwin's Ohio Revised Code Annotated, by West, 2003 edition.
Even when a source is available in print, citation to an Internet source with identical content may be provided if it will substantially improve access to the source cited. Cite the primary source (print source) first, followed by the phrase "available at" and the URL for the online source.
The online citation above came from the website, "LAWriter Ohio Laws and Rules" and includes amendments made in the 129th Assembly in 2011.
In the Text
33 Ohio Rev. Code (2011)
United States Constitution
Ohio Constitution
(apastyle.org; Bluebook Rule 11)
United States Constitution
U.S. Const., art. I, § 9, cl.2.
Citations of the U.S. Constitution begin with U.S. Const., followed by the article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers as relevant. Abbreviate the terms article, amendment, section, and clause, etc. as specified in T16 of the Bluebook.
Article and amendment numbers are given in Roman numerals (I, II, III); section and clause numbers are given in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3).
When citing parts of the Constitution currently in force, do not include a date. When referring to a part of the Constitution that has been repealed or amended, include the year that the part in question was repealed or amended in parentheses.
U. S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933).
Ohio Constitution
OH Const. art. I, § 12.
When citing a state constitution, use the abbreviated name of the state as indicated in Bluebook table T10.
Ohio Supreme Court
(APA A7.03; Bluebook Rule 10 )
Reference List
Beginning on May 1, 2002, the Ohio Supreme Court‘s website became the repository of all opinions of the Ohio Supreme Court, the Courts of Appeals, and the Court of Claims, as well as selected opinions of the state‘s trial courts. Since that time, each opinion posted to the Ohio Supreme Court‘s website has been assigned its own unique number or WebCite. The WebCite is composed of three elements: the year of decision, the word "Ohio," and a number unique to that opinion.
Ohio requires "parallel citation" to both the official state reporter (Ohio State Reports, Third Series), the WebCite number, and the unofficial regional reporter (Northeastern Reporter, Second Series), one following the other.
--Cite the name of the case, not in italics;
--The full parallel citation, beginning with the official citation (Ohio St.3d); followed by
--The opinion‘s Supreme Court WebCite number, followed by
--a citation to The North Eastern Reporter, all separated by commas.
Even when a source is available in print format, a parallel citation to an Internet source with identical content may be provided if it will improve access to the source cited. First cite the primary source and then cite the parallel Internet resource introduced by "available at," followed by the URL of the site.
Commercial Database Citation
Provide:
--Case name (not italicized)
--Docket Number
--Database Identifier
--Court Name (abbreviated appropriately)
--Full date of the most recent major
disposition of the case
Page numbers, if assigned, should be preceded by the word, "at" and an asterisk (*); paragraph numbers, if assigned, should be preceded by a paragraph symbol (¶).
Because of the reliability and authoritativeness of commercial databases such as LEXIS, etc., cite these databases, if available, in preference to the other sources covered (print, internet).
U. S. Supreme Court
(APA A7.03, ex. 8; Bluebook, Rule 10)
Provide:
--Case name (not italicized)
--Volume number of the reporter where the published decision can be found
--Appropriate abbreviation of the reporter
--Page number in the reporter where the case can be found.
--Full date of the most recent major
disposition of the case (in parentheses).
If a decision is not available in an official or unofficial reporter, cite a widely used computer database, a service, a slip opinion, or an Internet source or a newspaper, in that order of preference.
Provide:
--Case name (not italicized)
--Docket Number
--Database Identifier
--Court Name (abbreviated appropriately)
--Full date of the most recent major
disposition of the case
Page numbers, if assigned, should be preceded by the word, "at" and an asterisk (*); paragraph numbers, if assigned, should be preceded by a paragraph symbol (¶).