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How to Cite a Government Document in APA (7th edition)

Learn how to cite government reports, legislation, and official documents in APA format (7th edition). This guide includes the reference list format, in-text citation examples, and key formatting rules.

APA Reference List Format

Here is the standard APA format for citing a government document in your reference list:

Agency Name. (Year). Title of document (Publication No. xxx). Publisher. https://url

APA Example for a Government Document

A complete APA reference for a government document, formatted by the official APA CSL style definition — the same engine that powers the generator on this site:

Department of Education. (2023). National literacy strategy (ED-2023-114). Government Publishing Office. https://www.example.gov/literacy-strategy

Matching in-text citation: (Department of Education, 2023)

APA In-Text Citation

Use one of these formats when referencing this source within your paper:

Parenthetical

(Agency Name, 2024)

Narrative

Agency Name (2024) reports...

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Gather source information: Collect the author name, title, publication date, and URL or DOI for your government document.
  2. Format the reference: Arrange the elements following the APA (7th edition) template shown above.
  3. Create the in-text citation: Add a parenthetical or narrative citation in your paper where you reference this source.
  4. Add to your reference list: Include the full formatted citation at the end of your paper.
  5. Double-check formatting: Verify italics, punctuation, capitalization, and hanging indents match APA requirements.

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Cite a Government Document in Other Styles

Government Document in MLAGovernment Document in ChicagoGovernment Document in HarvardGovernment Document in VancouverGovernment Document in IEEEGovernment Document in AMAGovernment Document in TurabianGovernment Document in CSEGovernment Document in BibTeXGovernment Document in NatureGovernment Document in ACSGovernment Document in OSCOLAGovernment Document in BluebookGovernment Document in AGLCGovernment Document in ASAGovernment Document in APSAGovernment Document in AAAGovernment Document in NLMGovernment Document in ACMGovernment Document in APSGovernment Document in AIPGovernment Document in CellGovernment Document in ScienceGovernment Document in PLOSGovernment Document in BMJGovernment Document in LancetGovernment Document in JAMAGovernment Document in Elsevier HarvardGovernment Document in Springer

Cite Other Sources in APA

Website in APABook in APAJournal Article in APAYouTube Video in APAPodcast in APANewspaper Article in APAMagazine Article in APABlog Post in APAWikipedia in APAPDF in APAInterview in APASocial Media Post in APADissertation or Thesis in APAConference Paper in APALecture or PowerPoint in APAWebinar in APAOnline Course in APAPowerPoint Presentation in APAImage or Photograph in APAMovie or Film in APADocumentary in APATV Show in APASong or Music in APAPoem in APACourt Case in APAPatent in APAEncyclopedia Entry in APADictionary Entry in APADataset in APASoftware or App in APAVideo Game in APAPress Release in APAReport in APAPreprint in APABook Chapter in APAChatGPT in APABible in APATED Talk in APAEmail in APAReddit or Forum Post in APAX (Twitter) Post in APAMap in APA

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