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Harvard (author-date) style examples

Government publications

On this page:

  • Document produced by a government agency, with no obvious personal author.
  • Document produced by a government agency, with personal author/s acknowledged on title page.
  • Document produced by a branch or division of a government agency.
  • Document produced by a state or territory agency.
  • Document produced for an agency by a consultant, with only the consultant's name on the title page.
  • Document known by a short title
    • i) report known by the name of the chairman or person responsible for the inquiry.
    • ii) report known by its title rather than its author/s

Elements of the citation

Name of agency as author Year of publication, Title of publication - in italics, Name of publisher, place of publication.

Document produced by a government agency, with no obvious personal author.

Citing example: In text:

"Amongst 12-24 year-olds, 17 and 18 year-olds had the longest periods of support and accommodation" (AIHW, 2003, xv).

Note:

If you choose to use an abbreviation or acronym of the agency name, you will need a see reference in your reference list.

Reference list
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2003, Young homeless people in Australia 2001 - 02, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Canberra.

See reference

AIHW - see Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Main entry under full name as above.

Document produced by a government agency, with personal author/s acknowledged on title page.

Citing example: In text:

The authors concluded from research that "the meaning of scientific literacy was not well understood" (DETYA, c2001, p. 170).

Notes: Your citation refers only to the agency as author.If you choose to use an acronym of the agency name, you will need a see reference in your reference list.

Reference list
Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs c2001, The status and quality of teaching and learning of science in Australian schools, research report prepared by D Goodrum, M Hackling & L Rennie, Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs, Canberra.

Note: The name of the Commonwealth department responsible for education has changed since 2001, but the citation details should be those on the title page of the source document.

Document produced by a branch or division of a government agency.

Citing example: In text:

Table 1 illustrates the birthplace of the Australian population for selected censuses from 1901 to 1996 (DIMA, 2001, p. 18).

Notes: Your citation refers only to the main agency as author. If you choose to use an acronym of the agency name, you will need a see reference in your reference list.

Reference list
Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs 2001, Immigration: Federation to century's end 1901-2000, Statistics Section, Business Branch, Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Canberra.

Note: Details of the branch or division appear before the publication details.

Document produced by a state or territory agency.

Citing example: In text:

The guide list examples of successful initiatives taken to tailor services to the needs of particular cultural or linguistic groups (DHS, 2004, p. 8).

Notes: Your citation refers only to the main agency as author. If you choose to use an acronym of the agency name, you will need a see reference in your reference list.

Reference list
Department of Human Services 2004, Cultural diversity guide: planning and delivering culturally appropriate human services, Policy and Strategic Projects Division, Melbourne, Victoria.

Note: There is usually no there is no specific indication that an agency is a state of territory one. The place of publication usually makes this clear. If any confusion is likely, the location of the department can included as part of the publication details.

Document produced for an agency by a consultant, with only the consultant's name on the title page.

Citing example: In text:

The report by Condon (DHA, 2004) was made on behalf of the Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health.

Notes: Your citation refers only to the main agency as author. If you choose to use an acronym of the agency name, you will need a see reference in your reference list.

Reference list
Condon, JR 2004, Cancer, health services and indigenous Australians, report to the Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, Department of Health and Aging, Canberra.

Document known by a short title

i) report known by the name of the chairman or person responsible for the inquiry.

Citing example: In text:

Not all the major recommendations of the Burdekin report (1989) have been implemented by Commonwealth and State governments

Reference list

Include a see reference in your reference list, in addition to the main entry.


Burdekin report - see - Human rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (1989).

Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission 1989, Our homeless children: report of the national inquiry into homeless children, (Brian Burdekin, chairman), AGPS, Canberra.

ii) report known by its title rather than its author/s

Citing example: In text:

The Federal Government released its formal response to Bringing them home (1997) on 16 December, 1997.

Reference list

Include a see reference in your reference list, in addition to the main entry.


Bringing them home - see National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families.

National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families 1997, Bringing them home. (Sir Ronald Wilson, president), Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, Sydney.

 

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