Referencing (TAFE)

APA Citation Style does not have a separate category for government publications. According to APA, government documents can be considered books, technical or research reports or brochures.

Helpful tips:

• Treat a government document as a book, report, or brochure.
• If a person is named on the title page, use that person as author.
• If no person is named, use the government agency, department, or branch as a group author.
• Give the name of the group author exactly as it appears on the title page.
• If the parent agency does not appear in the author name it should appear in the source element as the publisher. 
• If there are several levels of agency include the most senior or parent body first in authorial source elements.
• If there is a series or report number, include it after the title.

• Omit the publisher if the author and the publisher are the same.

• Use a description of work after title in square brackets if not a book, article or report.  

In-text citation

Note: Use a page number when quoting directly 

Author Surname OR Name of Government Organization (Year, page number)

(Author, Year) OR (Name of Government Organization, Year)

(Gilmore et al., 1999, p. 5) 

Gilmore et al. (1999)

Reference list

Author, A. A. (Year of publication).Title of report (Report number). Publisher. https://doi.org

Author, A. A. (Year of publication).Title of work [Description]. Publisher. http://xxxxx

Government agency. (Year of publication).Title of work [Description]. Publisher.

Office of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner. (1996). Indigenous Deaths in Custody 1989 - 1996. Australian Human Rights Commission. http://www.hreoc.gov.au/social_justice/publications/deaths_custody/index.html

Swain, S. (2014). History of Australian inquiries reviewing institutions providing care for children [Research report]. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/research

In-text citation

(Coroners Name, Year)

The inquest into the death of Andrew John Thwaites (Clements, 2018) found that the death was ...

Reference List

Coroners Name. (Year of publication). Title of report (Report number). Publisher. htttps//:xxxxx

Clements, C. (2018). Inquest into the death of Andrew John Thwaites (File NO. COR 2016/3336). Queensland Courts. https://www.coronerscourt.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/577093/cif-thwaites-aj-20180724.pdf

In-text citation

(Author, Year)

(Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS], 2016)

Second and subsequent citations (ABS, 2016)

Reference list

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of publication (Number of report). Publisher.

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). (2016). ABS Geospatial web services user guide (cat no. 1470.0).

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of publication (Number of report). http://xxx

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2016). Employment in renewable energy activities, Australia, 2015- 2016. (no. 4631.0).https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/allprimarymainfeatures/3178C2EE6B3FA854CA2583   DE00209DB8?opendocument

In-text citation

(Author, Year of publication)

(Standards Australia, 2015)

Note: If publisher and author are the same, omit publisher from reference element.

Reference list

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Standard name (standard number) [Standard]. htttps//:xxxxx

Standards Australia. (2003). Slide fasteners (AS 2332-2003) [Standard]. https://subscriptions-techstreet-com.tafeqld.idm.oclc.org/products/807845

Standards Australia. (2015). Methods of sampling and testing mortar for masonry constructions (AS 2701-2001) [Standard]. https://www.standards.org.au/standards-catalogue/sa-snz/building/bd-004/as--2701-2001

In-text citation

(Jurisdiction, Year, p. x)

(QLD, 2024, p. 117)

(Commonwealth of Australia,  2017, p. 9018)

Reference list

Jurisdiction. Parliamentary debates. Chamber. Day Month Yea). Volume. https://xxxxx

QLD. Parliamentary Debates. Legislative Assembly. 13 February 2024. https://documents.parliament.qld.gov.au/events/han/2024/2024_02_13_WEEKLY.pdf

Commonwealth of Australia. Parliamentary Debates House of Representatives. 4 September 2017. 13. https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/chamber/hansardr/69b91d74-6ef5-401f- bdb2- ec84d2faa6c9/toc_pdf/House%20of%20Representatives_2017_09_04_5434_Official.pdf;fileType=a pplication%2Fpdf

Omit the volume number if not available.