Guides: APA Referencing: Government Sources & Standards

Reports, Legislation, Standards and More

In-Text

(Agency Name, Publication Year)

(Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2023)

First in-text reference if referring to source more than once: (Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS], 2023)

Subsequent in-text references: (ABS, 2023)

Note:

Organisation names can be abbreviated if the abbreviation is commonly used, but must be given in full the first time they are referenced, with the abbreviation in square brackets. ABS is a common abbreviation when referring to this published information.

The abbreviation is not included in the reference list citation.

Reference List

Agency Name. (Publication Year). Title: Subtitle. Publisher. URL

Agency Name. (Publication Year). Title: Subtitle. Publisher. Retrieval statement, URL

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2023). National Health Survey 2022. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/health-conditions-and-risks/national-health-survey/latest-release

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2015). National health survey: First results, 2014-15 (cat. no. 4364.0.55.001). http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/4364.0.55.001~2014-15~Main%20Features~Overweight%20and%20obesity~22

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2024). Population clock. Retrieved September 30, 2024, from https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/population-clock-pyramid

Note:

If provided, include the ABS catalogue/report number in parentheses after the title.
When the author/agency is also the publisher, omit the publisher details.
Include a retrieval date if the contents are designed to change over time.

AUSTRALIAN STANDARD - ONLINE (from library database)

In-Text

(Author Surname, Year) OR (Corporate Author, Year)

(Standards Australia, 2007)

Reference List

Author Surname, Initial(s) or Corporate Author. (Year). Title of standard (Standard no. XX). Publisher.

Standards Australia. (2007). Wiring rules (AS3000:2007). Techstreet Enterprise.

Note:

Database URL is not required as Australian Standards are available from other online suppliers, and therefore not a unique database.

AUSTRALIAN STANDARD - PRINT

In-Text

As above.

Reference List

Author Surname, Initial(s) or Corporate Author. (Year). Title of standard (Standard no. XX). Publisher.

Standards Australia. (2007). Wiring rules (AS3000:2007).

Note:

When the author is also the publisher, omit the publisher details.

You usually reference a government document according to the format it is published in, i.e. book, report, brochure etc. unless it is a webpage on a website.

In-Text

(Department/Agency Name, Publication Year) OR (Department/Agency Name, Publication Year, page)

(Department of Health, 2018)

(Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2024)

First in-text reference if referring to source more than once: (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare [AIHW], 2024)

Subsequent in-text references: (AIHW, 2024)

Note:

Organisation names can be abbreviated if the abbreviation is commonly used, but must be given in full the first time they are referenced, with the abbreviation in square brackets.

The abbreviation is not included in the reference list citation.

Reference List

Department or Agency Name. (Publication Year). Title: Subtitle. Publisher.

Department or Agency Name. (Publication Year). Title: Subtitle. Publisher. URL

Department of Health. (2018). A fair share for WA health care. Government of Western Australia. https://www.health.wa.gov.au/Reports-and-publications/Fair-share-for-WA-health-care

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2024). Australia's health 2024: In brief (Cat no. AUS 249). Australian Government. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/australias-health-2024-in-brief/summary

Note:

The specific department or agency responsible for the report appears as the author. The names of parent agencies that do not appear in the author name, appear as the publisher.
If you are citing both the federal and state departments with the same name, include the parent agencies in the author to differentiate them.
Where the department/agency is also the publisher, omit the publisher details.

The Australian Government Style Manual and the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (AGLC) provide further advice on referencing Australian legislative materials.

In-Text

(Title of the Act and legislated year, (Jurisdiction), section if relevant)

(Work Health and Safety Act 2020 (WA), s. 24)

Note:

If necessary, indicate sub-sections and clauses by relevant numbers and/or letters used in the document.
The letter ‘s.’ refers to the section of the legislation.
In a sentence, the Act name and date are in italics.

Reference List

Act Title Legislated Year (Jurisdiction abbreviated). URL

Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). https://www.legislation.gov.au/C1968A00063/latest/text

Work Health and Safety Act 2020 (WA). https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/statutes.nsf/law_a147282.html