How-to · Step-by-step
How to cite a report
Citing a report means recording the organisation or author, the title, any report number, the publisher, the year, and the URL.
The step most authors miss
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Step by step
How to do it
1.Identify the issuing organisation
Note the government department, agency or organisation that produced the report. When no individual author is named, the organisation takes the author position.
2.Record the title
Copy the full title of the report. It is italicised in APA and MLA, and italicised in Chicago as a stand-alone work.
3.Find the report number
Look for a report, publication or series number, often printed on the cover or title page. Record it if present, as it helps identify the exact document.
4.Note the publisher and year
Record the publisher and year. When the publisher is the same as the issuing organisation, APA omits the duplicate publisher.
5.Copy the URL
Copy a stable URL to the report itself — the publisher’s page — rather than a database link.
6.Assemble the entry
Arrange the elements in your style’s order, placing the report number where the style specifies.
APA 7th edition
Format: Organisation. (Year). Title of report (Report No. xxx). Publisher. URL — Worked example: Example Health Agency. (2021). Citation practices in public health (Report No. 12). https://www.example.org/report In-text: (Example Health Agency, 2021). The report number goes in parentheses after the italicised title. When the publisher is the same as the author — common for group authors — omit the publisher and give just the URL.
MLA 9th edition
Format: Organisation. Title of Report. Publisher, Year, URL. — Worked example: Example Health Agency. Citation Practices in Public Health. Example Health Agency, 2021, www.example.org/report. In-text: (Example Health Agency). The organisation is the author and the title is italicised. Add a report number after the title where it aids identification, and give the URL as the location for an online report.
Chicago 17th edition (notes–bibliography)
Bibliography: Example Health Agency. Citation Practices in Public Health. Report No. 12. London: Example Health Agency, 2021. https://www.example.org/report. — First footnote: 1. Example Health Agency, Citation Practices in Public Health, Report No. 12 (London: Example Health Agency, 2021), https://www.example.org/report. Give the organisation, the italicised title, any report number, the place and publisher, the year and the URL.
Common questions
FAQ
Who is the author when no person is named?+
The issuing organisation is the author. Government reports and organisation publications are usually authored by a department or agency rather than an individual, so the organisation’s name takes the author position and the entry is alphabetised by that name.
Where does the report number go?+
Record it whenever the report carries one, as it pins down the exact document. APA puts it in parentheses after the title — "(Report No. 12)"; MLA and Chicago place it after the title as a series or report number. Omit the element when no number is given.
Do I name the publisher if it is the same as the author?+
In APA, no — when the issuing organisation is also the publisher, you omit the duplicate publisher and give just the URL. MLA and Chicago may repeat the organisation as publisher, though some writers shorten the second mention. Always link to the report on the publisher’s own site.
Going deeper
