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Core Documents of Our Democracy: Citing Government Documents

The resources found in this guide are vital sources of information that support the public's right to know about the workings and essential activities of the Federal Government.

Citing Government Documents

APA Citation Style does not have a separate category for government publications.  According to APA, government documents can be considered Books, Technical/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 her or him 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 branch or agency is not well known, include its higher department first.
  • If the group author is also the publisher, just use the word Author after the location
  • If there is a series or report number, include it after the title
  • The manual refers to the GPO (U.S. Gov. Printing Office). Canadian equivalents may be: Queen’s Printer, Ministry of Supply and Services, Canadian Government Publishing, etc

Find Historical Resources in Print at TCU

Poore, Benjamin Perley.  A Descriptive Catalogue of the Government Publications of the United States, Sept. 5, 1774-March 4, 1881. Location

Superintendent of Documents. Checklist of United States Public Documents, 1789-1909. Location

Lester, Daniel W. et al, compilers.  Cumulative Title Index to United State Public Documents, 1798-1976. Location

Buchanan, William W. and Edna A. Kanely.  Cumulative Subject Index to the Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications, 1900-1971. Location

Ames, John G. Comprehensive Index to the Publications of the United States Government, 1881-1893. Location

Hickcox, John H.  Cumulative Index to Hickcox's Monthly Catalog with Superintendent of Documents Classification (SuDoc) numbers added by Mary Elizabeth Poole. Location

Superintendent of Documents.  Catalog of the Public Documents of Congress and of Other Departments of the Government of the United States for the Period of March 4, 1893-December 31, 1940. (known as the Document Catalog) Location

Przebienda, Edward, ed. United States government publications monthly catalog; cumulative personal author index. 1941-1975. Decennial & Quinquennial Cumulative Personal Author Index. Location

Superintendent of Documents.  Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications (title varies slightly between 1895-2000). Continued by: Catalog of Government Publications. Location: Government Document Stacks, Call No: GP 3.8

Guide to U.S. Government Publications. (also known as Andriot after the original editor) Location