Citing governmental sources can vary based on the citation style you are using (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.). Here’s how to cite governmental sources in a few common styles:
APA Style
In APA style, government documents can be cited in the following format:
Reference list: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (Year). Title of the document (Publication No. xxx). URL
In-text citation: (Authoring Organization, Year)
Example: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2020). National survey on drug use and health (HHS Publication No. SMA 20-1841). https://www.samhsa.gov/data/
MLA Style
In MLA style, the format generally looks like this:
Works Cited: Authoring Agency. Title of Document. Publisher, Year. URL.
In-text citation: (Agency Name Page Number)
Example: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Survey on Drug Use and Health. HHS, 2020, https://www.samhsa.gov/data/.
Chicago Style
In Chicago style, cite government documents as follows:
Bibliography: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Title of Document. Year. URL.
Footnote:
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Title of Document (Year), URL.
Example: Bibliography: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Survey on Drug Use and Health. 2020. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/.
Footnote:
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2020), https://www.samhsa.gov/data/.
General Tips
- Authoring Agency: Often the agency or department is the author; use its full name.
- Title: Use italics for the title of the document.
- Publication Dates: Include the year of publication.
- URLs: If the document is found online, include the URL or DOI.
- Consistency: Make sure to be consistent with your formatting, especially regarding font, punctuation, and spacing.
Always check the latest guidelines of the style you are using, as rules may change over time.