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Citing Government Documents: American Psychological Association

According to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 6th ed. (2010). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Revised January 2010 Contents

Congressional and Legal Materials

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.