How to Cite a Government Document in IEEE (standard)
Learn how to cite government reports, legislation, and official documents in IEEE format (standard). This guide includes the reference list format, in-text citation examples, and key formatting rules.
IEEE Reference List Format
Here is the standard IEEE format for citing a government document in your reference list:
[1] Agency Name, Title of Document. Place: Publisher, Year.
IEEE Example for a Government Document
A complete IEEE reference for a government document, formatted by the official IEEE CSL style definition — the same engine that powers the generator on this site:
[1] Department of Education, “National literacy strategy,” Government Publishing Office, Washington, DC, ED-2023-114, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.example.gov/literacy-strategy
Matching in-text citation: [1]
IEEE In-Text Citation
Use one of these formats when referencing this source within your paper:
Parenthetical
[1]
Narrative
In [1], the agency reports...
Step-by-Step Guide
- Gather source information: Collect the author name, title, publication date, and URL or DOI for your government document.
- Format the reference: Arrange the elements following the IEEE (standard) template shown above.
- Create the in-text citation: Add a parenthetical or narrative citation in your paper where you reference this source.
- Add to your reference list: Include the full formatted citation at the end of your paper.
- Double-check formatting: Verify italics, punctuation, capitalization, and hanging indents match IEEE requirements.
Evidence and review notes
Worked examples are generated by citeproc from the published CSL definition, not written by a language model. Editorial guidance and sources in this section were reviewed on 2026-08-14.
CSL style record: ieee.csl
Metadata to collect
- issuing agency and parent department
- document title
- report or publication number
- publication year
- publisher, if different from the agency
- URL or DOI
Common metadata traps
- Name the agency that wrote the document, not the website that hosts it.
- Include the report number so readers can tell similar titles from the same agency apart.
Editorial sources
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I cite a government document in IEEE?
- To cite a government document in IEEE (standard), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.
- What is the IEEE format for a government document citation?
- The IEEE format for a government document is: [1] Agency Name, Title of Document. Place: Publisher, Year.
- What does the in-text citation look like for a government document in IEEE?
- In IEEE, the in-text citation for the example above is [1]
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