[toc]
citing government reports a comprehensive guide
Concise Guide to APA Style: 7th Edition (OFFICIAL)
Page 290 Review
Analyzing Government Report Citations: A Deep Dive
This section of the guide provides crucial examples of how to correctly cite government reports according to a specific style guide (likely APA, though not explicitly stated).
Let’s break down each example to understand the nuances involved.
Report by Individual Authors at a Government Agency or Other Organization
The first example demonstrates how to cite a report authored by individuals affiliated with an organization, such as a government agency or think tank.
The citation format is as follows:
“Fried, D., & Polyakova, A. (2018).
Democratic defense against disinformation.
Atlantic Council. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/images/publications/Democratic_Defense_Against_Disinformation_FINAL.pdf”
Here’s what each element signifies:
- Authors: “Fried, D., & Polyakova, A.” Lists the authors of the report.
The ampersand (&) is used to join the names of the last two authors.
- Year: “(2018)” Indicates the year the report was published.
- Title: “Democratic defense against disinformation.” Presents the title of the report.
- Source: “Atlantic Council.” Specifies the organization that published the report.
Crucially, the guide notes that “the names of parent agencies not included in the group author name appear in the source element as the publisher.”
- URL: “https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/images/publications/Democratic_Defense_Against_Disinformation_FINAL.pdf” Provides a direct link to the report.
The guide also provides examples of parenthetical and narrative citations:
- Parenthetical citation: “(Fried & Polyakova, 2018; Segaert & Bauer, 2015)” – Used within the text, enclosed in parentheses.
- Narrative citation: “Fried and Polyakova (2018) and Segaert and Bauer (2015)” – Integrated into the sentence’s narrative flow.
The next example, concerning veteran homelessness in Canada, follows a similar pattern:
“Segaert, A., & Bauer, A. (2015).
The extent and nature of veteran homelessness in Canada.
Employment and Social Development Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/communities/homelessness/publications-bulletins/veterans-report.html”
Report by Individual Authors at a Government Agency, Published as Part of a Series
This example details how to cite a report that is part of a larger series published by a government agency:
“Blackwell, D.
L., Lucas, J.
W., & Clarke, T.
C. (2014).
Summary health statistics for U.
S. adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2012 (Vital and Health Statistics Series 10, Issue 260).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_10/sr10_260.pdf”
Key differences here are the inclusion of the series title and issue number: “(Vital and Health Statistics Series 10, Issue 260).” This provides additional context and allows readers to locate the report within the broader series.
The guide notes that parenthetical citation is: (Blackwell et al., 2014) and the Narrative citation: Blackwell et al. (2014).
Report by a Task Force, Working Group, or Other Group
This example addresses citing reports produced by a group entity, such as a task force or working group:
“British Cardiovascular Society Working Group. (2016).
British Cardiovascular Society Working Group report: Out-of-hours cardiovascular care: Management of cardiac emergencies and hospital in-patients.
British Cardiovascular Society. http://www.bcs.com/documents/BCSOOHWP_Final_Report_05092016.pdf”
The most important point here is to capitalize the name of the task force or working group, as it is considered a proper noun.
Parenthetical citation: (British Cardiovascular Society Working Group, 2016) and Narrative citation: British Cardiovascular Society Working Group (2016)
The guide specifies that “If multiple agencies authored a report together, join the names with an ampersand, using commas to separate the names of three or more agencies.” This ensures clarity when multiple entities are responsible for the report’s content.
Conclusion
These examples provide a strong foundation for accurately citing government reports.
Paying close attention to the details of authorship, publication year, title, source, and series information is crucial for maintaining academic integrity and allowing readers to easily access the cited material.
Understanding the subtle differences in formatting based on the type of author (individual, agency, or group) is also essential.
This ensures proper credit is given and avoids any ambiguity in sourcing.
Buy full ebook for only $18: https://www.lulu.com/shop/american-psychological-association/concise-guide-to-apa-style-7th-edition-official/ebook/product-rmzpq54.html?page=1&pageSize=4
Citing Government Reports A Comprehensive Guide
Read more: Capitalization Rules: A Guide for Academic Writing