A government publication is an official and informational document that is issued at government expense by a government agency such as a county or federal body. Government publications cover information on wide range of topics.

Basic Citation Form

U.S. Government documents are normally written by administrative officials of federal agencies. These documents are printed, but not issued by the Government Publishing Office. Often, these government publications do not have a standard format and sometimes publishing elements are also eliminated. Here is the common citation format commonly followed in most government publications:

Author. title, edition, edition statement. Place of issue: Publisher, Date. (Series). (Note).

Here are few examples of common citation types followed for publishing government documents:

Issuing Agency as Author

Single Publishing Agency:

International Monetary Fund. Economic Outlook June 2003: Price Hikes and the Business Changes. Washington D.C. 2003.

Separate Bureaucratic Levels:

Each author or agency has different bureaucratic levels. Therefore, the parent author and the lowest bureaucratic levels are cited in the author part.

The United States Department of Health Services. National Agency for Health Stats. Bruxism among Children: Canada and United States. Washington: Government Publishing Office, 2000.

Widely-Known Agency:

There may be some well-known agency at the lower level. For this type, parent part can be eliminated from the element, author.

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation. FBI Priorities and Mission: To Maintain Law and Order. Washington: Government Publishing Office, 1996.

Congress as Author

When citing congress as author, name of full committee should be used, even though sub-committee has originally issued the document.

Hearings:

The United States House of Representatives. Committee on Educational and Economic Opportunities. Child Welfare and Education Hearing, 3 Feb 1994. Washington: Government Publishing Office, 1994.

Prints of Committee:

The United States Senate. Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Dealing with the Public Business. (S. Prt. 102-18). Washington: Government Publishing Office, 1994.

Reports:

The United States Senate. Small Business Committee. Women’s Entrepreneurship: Success and Challenge (to follow S. 142). (S. Rpt. 102-34). Washington: Government Publishing Office, 2000.

Special Citations for Special Publications

Census of Population and Housing:

The United States Census of Population and Housing, 2000: Population Summary and Characteristic: Colorado. Washington: Government Publishing Office, 2001.

U.S. Constitution:

The United States Constitution. Art.I, Sec.1.

U.S. Code:

Legal Citation: 11 USC 345

Bibliographic Citation: “Publicities: effect of success of selection for,” Title 11 U.S. Code, Pts. 543. 2000 ed.

Register of Federal Agency:

Legal Citation: 30 Fed. Reg. 2000 (12 October 2000).

Bibliographic Citation: “Suspension of Community based Eligibility, Rule.” Federal Register 30:210 (30 October 1996) p. 55323.

Publications of State Data Center

Indiana. State Data Center. Indiana Selected Social Changes: 1991 (1991 Census of Population: Summary Tape File 2A). Indianapolis, 1992.

South Carolina. State Data Center. Housing Characteristics: 2007 (2007 Census of Population: Summary Tape File 3E). Columbia, 2008.

Collections of Microform

American Statistics Index (ASI):

The United States Department of Health and Human Services. 2000 Women Health Research. Washington: Department 2001. (2001 ASI microfiche 3452-1).

Statistical Reference Index (SRI):

Indiana. Labor Department. Snapshot Indiana 35. Newark: Indiana Labor Department, 2000. (2000 SRI Microfiche D1435-7).

Electronic Citation

The U.S. government is planning to provide more information in electronic formats. Standard format for citing these sources have not yet finalized. Here are few examples for electronic citation:

Basic format to cite documents from CD-ROM and floppies should contain: publishing agency, statements, medium designation; statement of edition; place of issue; manufacturer, and Date.

General format is Author. Title, statement of edition [Medium type], Place of issue: Issuer, Date

The United States Geological Survey. MudView++. [DISKETTE]. New York: Government Publishing Office, 2000.

U.S. Census Bureau. Census of Housing and Population Characteristics, 1991: Summary Tape File 2A: Indiana. CD-ROM. New York: Bureau, [1994].

Here are few additional resources on citing government publications:

• DocsSite
• Citation Guide
• Guide to Government Publications
• How to Cite Electronic Sources
• Citing Maps