Cite a Government Agency Report in MLA

• Tomas Elliott (Ph.D.)
• Published on 09/13/2024

In MLA (Modern Language Association) format, citing government reports requires attention to several key citation elements. These elements change slightly based on whether the report is in print or online and whether the author and publisher are the same or different.

Below is a comprehensive guide on how to cite government reports, with descriptions of each citation element.

CITING A GOVERNMENT REPORT IN PRINT

For a government document available in print, the citation includes the following elements:

• Author: The name of the body responsible for authoring the report, such as a specific committee, department, or branch of the government.
• Title of Document: The full title of the government report, including any subtitles. The title should be italicized.
• Edition: If the document is a later edition (e.g., second edition or beyond), this information should be included. The edition is not required if the report is the first edition.
• Name of Government Primary Agency: The name of the government body or agency that authored and/or published the report.
• Publication Date: The year in which the government document was published. This is often located on the title page or in the publication information section of the document.

CITATION EXAMPLE FOR A GOVERNMENT REPORT IN PRINT 

Citation	Economic Co-operation and Development. Health at a Glance 2024: OECD Indicators. 4th ed., OECD Publishing, Aug. 2024.
Structure	Author. Title of Document. Edition, Name of Government Primary Agency, Publication Date.

CITING A GOVERNMENT REPORT WITH SAME AUTHOR AND PUBLISHER 

When citing a government report where the author and publisher are the same, begin with the title of the report, omitting the author since the organization responsible for the report is also the publisher.

• Title of Document: The complete title of the government report, including any subtitles. Italicize the title.
• Edition: If the document is a later edition, include the edition number. This is only necessary if it is not the first edition.
• Name of Government Primary Agency: The name of the government agency or body responsible for both authoring and publishing the document.
• Publication Date: The date when the document was officially published online. 

CITATION EXAMPLE FOR A GOVERNMENT REPORT WITH SAME AUTHOR AND PUBLISHER

Citation	The Condition of Education. Institute of Education Sciences, May 2022.
Structure	Title of Document. Name of Government Primary Agency, Publication Date.

CITING AN ONLINE GOVERNMENT REPORT WITH DIFFERENT AUTHOR AND PUBLISHER 

In cases where the author and publisher of a government report differ, both entities must be acknowledged in the citation. 

• Author: The name of the authoring body, such as a specific committee, department, or branch of the government responsible for writing the report.
• Title of Document: The full title of the government document, including any subtitles. Italicize the title.
• Edition: Include the edition only if it is not the first edition.
• Name of Government Primary Agency: The name of the government body or agency that published the report. This may differ from the authoring body.
• Publication Date: The date when the document was published.
• URL: The complete URL that provides direct access to the document.

CITATION EXAMPLE FOR AN ONLINE GOVERNMENT REPORT WITH DIFFERENT AUTHOR AND PUBLISHER

Citation	National Center for Education Statistics. Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS): 2024 Results. 2nd ed., Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, July 2024, nces.ed.gov/timss/results2020.pdf.
Structure	Author. Title of Document: Subtitle. Edition, Name of Government Primary Agency, Publication Date, URL.

Pay Attention to Corporate Author Names: Government reports often list a government agency, department, or committee as the corporate author. When citing, always list the full name of the agency or department exactly as it appears in the report. Avoid abbreviations unless they are commonly known (e.g., “NASA”). If the report is authored by a smaller sub-agency or division, be sure to include that as well. Be Consistent with Government Hierarchies: When citing reports from larger governmental bodies with multiple sub-agencies or departments, start with the highest level of authority. For instance, if a report is authored by a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, list the full department name followed by the specific division, if applicable. This ensures clarity and proper attribution within complex governmental structures. Use Appropriate Punctuation Between Citation Elements: In MLA citations, punctuation such as commas and periods separates citation elements. For example, the title is followed by a period, the edition by a comma, and the name of the government agency by a comma. Proper punctuation ensures clarity and makes your citation easier to read. Include Series or Report Numbers When Available: Some government reports are part of a series or have a specific report number. If the report includes this information, it should be included after the title or edition in your citation. This helps to uniquely identify the specific document, especially when it is part of a larger collection of reports on similar topics. Verify the Publication Date Format: Ensure that the publication date is formatted correctly according to MLA guidelines. For print documents, use the full date (day, month, year) if available. For online documents, include the date of publication as it appears on the website. If only the year is provided, use that. Accurate date formatting helps readers understand the timeliness of the report and is crucial for proper citation. Apply Title Case to the Title of the Report: When citing a government report, use title case for the title of the report. This means capitalizing the first and last words of the title, as well as all major words in between (e.g., nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs). Minor words such as articles, conjunctions, and prepositions should be in lowercase unless they are the first or last word of the title.  Abbreviate Months Correctly: When citing publication dates in MLA format, use the standard three-letter abbreviations for most months. The correct abbreviations are: Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., May, Jun., Jul., Aug., Sep., Oct., Nov., and Dec. Use these abbreviations consistently throughout your citations, except for May, June, and July, which should be written out in full. This ensures uniformity and clarity in your date formatting.