DOCUMENTS FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES
General format: An individual work
Author/editor. (Year). Title (edition). Retrieved from (URL)
If no date is given, use "n.d." for "no date".
General format: In-text citation
Use the author(s) last name(s), date of publication, and the page number. If there are no page numbers, use the paragraph number: (Jones, 2004, para. 3). If paragraph numbers are not available, use the heading the information is under, count the paragraphs to the information cited, and use this number as the paragraph number. (p. 172)
If no author is indicated, use the first few words of the title.
To cite an entire work:
Library of Congress. (1989). Bolivia: A country study. Retrieved from http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/botoc.html
To cite part (chapter, section, etc.) of an individual work:
Library of Congress. (1989). Bolivia: social organization. In Bolivia: A country study. Retrieved from
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/botoc.html
»»NOTE: If there are no page numbers, the chapter title is sufficient. (p. 203) Break the URL, if needed, after a slash or before a period.
Periodical article from government web site:
Dalla, R. L., Cramer, S., & Stanek, K. (2002, spring). Economic strain and community concerns in three
meatpacking communities (Nebraska). Rural America, 17 (1), 20-25. Retrieved from
http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/ruralamerica/ra171/ra171.pdf
Oscar-Berman, M. & Marinkovic, K. Alcoholism and the brain: An overview. Alcohol Research and Health (27),
125 - 133. Retrieved from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of
Health website: http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh27-2/125-133.htm
»»NOTE: APA says to identify the publisher as part of the retrieval statement unless the publisher has been identified as the author. (p. 205) Precede the URL with a colon. Break the URL, if needed, after a slash or before a period.
Government report
U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2003, July). No Child Left Behind Act: More information would help states
determine which teachers are highly qualified. (Publication No. GAO-03-631). Retrieved from GAO Reports
Main Page via GPO Access database: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/gaoreports/index.html
»»NOTE: When a document is not easily located through primary publishing channels, give the home or entry page URL for the database. (p. 192)
CD-ROM/DVD
U. S. Bureau of the Census. (n.d.). 1990 census of population and housing, summary tape file 3A [CD].
Washington, DC: Bureau of the Census.
»»NOTE: APA's only compact disc example is for music.
Statistical table on a CD-ROM
U. S. Bureau of the Census. (n. d.). Means of transportation to work, Kearney city, Nebraska. In 1990 Census of
population and housing summary tape file 3A [CD]. Washington, D. C: Bureau of the Census.
ERIC Document
Keith, Diana J. (1993). New K - 12 curriculum materials in the government documents collection. [Monograph]
(ED377886) Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/
»»NOTE: APA gives two examples for ERIC documents (p. 204 and 212). One has only the URL while the other includes the name of the database and document number (ED number). It seems best to include the "ED" number since that clearly identifies a specific title and can also be used to search for a title in the database. The example on page 204 includes [Monograph].
CONGRESSIONAL AND LEGAL MATERIALS
Congressional hearing
Hearing on scientific objectives for climate change legislation: Hearing before the Committee on Ways and
Means, House of Representatives, 111th Cong. (Serial No. 111-1). (2009). Retrieved from GPO Access
database: http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS116790
»»NOTE: If the hearing has been given a number include it after the title. (p. 205) A "purl" is considered a permanent link.
Lexis/Nexis Academic
and
Lexis/Nexis Congressional
»»NOTE: The APA Manual suggests following The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation for Legal Citations. Some of the following examples are based on the general guidelines, adapted for online sources. It also says to always cite the printed source and include a parallel citation to the electronic source if it will substantially improve access. (Bluebook,18.2.2) See example for U. S. Supreme Court case, below.
Congressional bill - Lexis/Nexis Congressional
Violence Against Women Act of 1999, H.R. 357, 106th Cong. (1999). Retrieved from Lexis/Nexis Congressional database.
House or Senate report or document - Lexis/Nexis Congressional
S. Rep. No. 105-273, at 2 (1998). Retrieved from Lexis/Nexis Congressional database.
»NOTE: Cited material begins on pg. 2. Use. "S. Rep." or "H.R. Rep." for a Senate or House report, "H.R. Doc." or "S. Doc." for House or Senate documents. APA says to use the "year" of the Congress and the calendar year but uses the number of the Congress (i.e. 105th Congress) in its examples.
(p. 223). Use the number of the Congress.
Congressional Record - Lexis/Nexis Congressional
Kerrey, Sen. [NE]. (1998, July 23). Amendment no. 3275, prohibit Environmental Protection Agency enforcement
of public drinking water treatment requirements for copper. In Congressional Record 144, S8830. Retrieved from
Lexis/Nexis Congressional database.
»»EXPLANATION: 144 is the volume number, S8830 is the page number - Senate portion of Record. The Manual does not provide guidance for the Congressional Record. The above is based on citing part of a larger work.
U. S. Statutes at Large - Lexis/Nexis Congressional
Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Amendments of 1998, Pub. L. No.
105-332. 112
Stat. 3076 (1998). Retrieved from Lexis/Nexis Congressional database.
»»EXPLANATION: Public law 105-332, in volume 112; 3076 is the first page of the law.
U. S. Code - Lexis/Nexis Congressional
Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act, 20 U.S.C. §2301 et seq. (2006).
Retrieved from Lexis/Nexis Congressional database.
»»EXPLANATION: 20 is the title number, 2301 is the first section of the law. "et seq." means the act includes other sections that follow the initial section. Cited is the 2006 edition of the Code.
U. S. Constitution - GPO Access
The Constitution of the United States of America, analysis and interpretation. (S. Doc. 108-17). (2002 Suppl.)
Retrieved from GPO Access database: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/constitution/pdf2002/001-Title.pdf
Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents
or
Public Papers of the President
via GPO Access
Bush, G. W. Address before a joint session of the Congress on the state of the union, January 20, 2004. Public
Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (pp. 94-101). Retrieved from GPO
Access database: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-
bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2004_presidential_documents&docid= pd26j04_txt_10.pdf
U. S. Supreme Court Case - Lexis/Nexis Academic
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke. 438 U.S. 265 (1978). Retrieved from Lexis/Nexis
Academic database. (1978 U.S. LEXIS 5).
»»EXPLANATION: 438 is the volume number, 265 is the first page of the decision. Date is when the case was decided. The Bluebook states that a parallel citation to an electronic source may be provided if it will substantially improve access. (18.2.2) Include the Lexis citation as above.
Code of Federal Regulations - Lexis/Nexis Academic
Minerals management. 36 C.F.R. § 9 (2010). Retrieved from Lexis/Nexis Academic database.
»»EXPLANATION: APA erroneously calls the first number a "volume" number and second number a "section". It is "Title
36" and "part 9".
Federal Register - Lexis/Nexis Congressional
Maryland three airports: Enhanced security procedures for operations at certain airports in the Washington, DC
metropolitan area flight restricted area. 70 Fed. Reg. 7,150 (February 10, 2005) (to be codified at 49
C.F.R. §1562). Retrieved from Lexis/Nexis Congressional database.
»»EXPLANATION: Volume 70, page 7,150. Title 49, part 1562; see explanation in CFR example above.