In Harvard referencing, the basic format for citing government publications is like that of a book. Government material shows up in most projects: a dissertation, a research paper, even a short policy brief. Treat it like a book unless your guide says otherwise. Keep names as printed. Match agency names in text and in the reference list. Clear sourcing keeps plagiarism worries away.
The Core Things to Look
In-text
- Ideas: (Agency Year)
- Quotes or specific data: (Agency Year, p. #) or (pp. #-#)
Reference list (print)
Agency Year, Title, Publisher, Place, p./pp.
Reference list (online)
Add Available at: URL [Accessed Day Mon. Year].
Language rules to watch: capitalisation of agency names, series numbers, and report IDs. Use p. for one page and pp. for a range.
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Table Differentiator
| Source Type | In-text | Reference List Essentials |
|---|---|---|
| Dept. author (print) | (Department Year, p. #) | Department Year, Title, Publisher, Place |
| Dept. author (online) | (Department Year) | Department Year, Title, Publisher/Host, Place if shown, Available at: URL [Accessed …] |
| Named individual author(s) | (Surname Year) | Surname, Initial(s) Year, Title, Publisher, Place |
| Govt book / manual | (Agency Year, p. #) | Agency Year, Title, edn if shown, Publisher, Place |
| Hansard (print) | (Jurisdiction, House Year, p./pp.) | Jurisdiction, House Year, Debates, vol./no., pp. #-# |
| Hansard (online) | (Jurisdiction, House Year, p. #) | Jurisdiction, House Year, Debates, no. + date, Available at: URL [Accessed …] |
| ABS / statistics office | (Agency Year) | Agency Year, Title, cat. no. ####.#, ABS, Canberra; add URL if online |
Departmental Authors
In-text: (Department of Industry, Innovation and Science 2016, p. 149)
Online reference:
Department of Industry, Innovation and Science 2016, *How regional universities drive regional innovation*, Available at: http://… [Accessed 22 Mar. 2016].
Print reference:
Department of Education, Science and Training 2006, *The Australian Government’s innovation report 2005–06: real results, real jobs*, Dept. of Education, Science and Training, Canberra.
When a department has a standard short form, introduce the full name first, then the short form later. Keep a List of Abbreviations if your paper is long.
Individual Authors on a Government Report
In-text: (Dawkins 1987, p. 16) or (Henry et al. 2010, p. 14)
Online reference:
Henry, DK, Harmer, J, Piggott, J, Rideout, H & Smith, G 2010, *Australia’s future tax system*, Commonwealth of Australia, Department of Treasury, Canberra. Available at: http://… [Accessed 24 Apr. 2011].
Print reference:
Dawkins, J 1987, *Higher education: a policy discussion paper*, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.
Author names take priority when shown. If none, start with the agency.
Government publications online
In-text: (Australian Government 2004)
Reference:
Australian Government 2004, *Australia’s demographic challenges*, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra. Available at: http://… [Accessed 20 Aug. 2012].
If the page is a PDF, keep the book-style pattern and add the link and Accessed date. For Tables, Maps, and Figures pulled from a report, add a page in text.
Hansard (Parliamentary Debates)
- In-text: Australia, House of Representatives 2001, pp. 24483–24488
- Reference: Australia, House of Representatives 2001, *Parliament debates*, vol. HR238, pp. 24483–24488.
Online
- In-text: (Australia, Senate 2015, p. 3235)
- Reference: Australia, House of Representatives 2016, *Debates*, no. 6, Wednesday, 23 November. Available at: http://… [Accessed 20 Jan. 2017].
Use date or number when volume is missing. Keep house names and jurisdiction as printed.
Government Books and Manuals
In-text: (Australian Government Publishing Service 1987, p. 3)
Reference:
Australian Government Publishing Service 1987, *Commonwealth printing and publishing manual*, 2nd edn, A.G.P.S., Canberra, ACT.
Write edn. for edition. This aligns with many Harvard Referencing Style sheets.
Statistics Offices and Catalogue Numbers (ABS Example)
In-text: (Australian Bureau of Statistics 1995) or (ABS 2014, p. 5)
Print reference:
Australian Bureau of Statistics 1995, *National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander survey 1994: detailed findings*, cat. no. 4190.0, ABS, Canberra.
Online reference:
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2014, *Overseas arrivals and departures, Australia*, cat. no. 3401.0. Available at: http://… [Accessed 3 Oct. 2014].
Include the catalogue number when shown. It helps readers locate the dataset in appendices or a Glossary.
Abbreviations and Acronyms
Write the full agency name the first time: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Later uses in text: (ABS 2014).
In parenthetical citation with the first mention, include both: (Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 1995).
Keep the full name in the reference list.
Edge Cases You’ll Meet
- No named author – start with the agency.
- Publisher equals author – keep the full agency as author; you may shorten the publisher line to the approved imprint (e.g., ABS).
- Series or report number – add after the title: (Report No. xxx) or a series code.
- Long titles – copy capitalisation as printed; avoid inventing sentence case if the source uses title case.
- Secondary use of a figure/map – cite the report and add a page: (Department Year, p. #). Write “Adapted from …” in the caption if you redraw it.
Frequently Asked Questions
To cite a government website, follow this general format: Author/Agency. (Year). Title of the webpage. Name of the Website. URL For in-text citation: (Author/Agency, Year) or (Title, Year). Always consult a specific style guide (e.g., APA, MLA) for precise formatting.
Use the book pattern for reports and PDFs. For a simple webpage, list the agency as author, add the page title, URL, and Accessed date.
Keep the full agency in the list. Use the acronym in text after you’ve introduced it.
Omit the place or use the imprint city shown on the report. Stay consistent with your guide’s rule.
Add p. or pp. when you quote or point to a specific table or figure. For a general claim you can omit the page.
Caption: “Figure X. Title (adapted from Agency Year, p. #)”. In text: (Agency Year, p. #). Add the full report in the reference list.
