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Government Documents

Examples in this guide are provided for footnote citations (N) and bibliography (B). Footnotes and bibliography format contain most of the same elements but are formatted slightly differently.  For example, notes use paragraph (first line) indentation, and the bibliography entries use hanging indents. If you cite one source multiple times, you may use shortened notes for citations after the first one .

Reports and Documents

For Congressional publications, include the number of the Congress and session. End with URL if sources are consulted online.

N: 

General format: note number period Government body author comma document title comma congress and session numbers comma date comma report number part or volume numbers if any comma pages period Example description: 20 period Select Committee on Homeland Security comma Homeland Security Act of 2002 comma 107th Cong period comma 2d sess period comma 2002 comma HR Rep period 107 hyphen 609 comma pt period 1 comma 11 hyphen 12 period

B: 

General format: Government body author period document title period congress and session numbers comma date period report number part or volume numbers if any period Example description: US Congress period House of Representatives period Select Committee on Homeland Security period Homeland Security Act of 2002 period 107th Cong period comma 2d sess period comma 2002 period HR Rep period 107 hyphen 609 comma pt period 1 period


Statutes

Statutes are bills and resolutions that have been passed into law. Cite statutes in notes only; you do not need to include them in your bibliography.

N:

General format: note number period statute title comma law number comma congress and session numbers period open parenthesis date close parenthesis comma pages period Example description: 22 period  Atomic Energy Act of 1946 comma Public Law 585 comma 79th Cong period comma 2d sess period open parenthesis August 1 comma 1946 close parenthesis comma 19 period


Treaties

If the parties subject to the treaty are not named in the title, list their abbreviations separated by hyphens.

N:

General format: note number period treaty title comma parties named in treaty comma date comma in italics publication name comma part or volume number if any comma pages period Example description: 23 period Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapons Tests in the Atmosphere comma in Outer Space comma and Under Water comma US hyphen UK hyphen USSR comma August 5 comma 1963 comma in italics UST non italics 14 comma pt period 2 comma 1313 period

B:

General format: Treaty author period treaty title comma parties named in treaty comma date comma publication name comma part or volume number if any period Example description: United States period Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Tests in the Atmosphere comma in Outer Space comma and Under Water comma US hyphen UK hyphen USSR comma  August 5 comma 1963 comma in italics UST non italics 14 comma pt period 2 period

 

For treaties in Kappler’s Indian Affairs, cite the treaty like a section in a book.

N:

General format: note number period open quotes treaty title comma close quotes in in italics book title comma non italics editor first name last name open parenthesis location colon publisher comma date close parenthesis comma volume colon page number period Example description: 24 period open quotes Articles of a treaty between the United States and the Cherokee Indians comma October 24 comma 1804 comma close quotes in in italics Indian Affairs colon Laws and Treaties comma close quotes ed period Charles J period Kappler open parenthesis Washington comma D period C period colon Government Printing Office comma 1904 close parenthesis comma 2 colon 73 period

B:

General format: open quotes treaty title period close quotes in in italics book title comma non italics edited by editor first name last name comma volume comma page numbers for entire section period location colon publisher comma date period Example description: open quotes Articles of a treaty between the United States and the Cherokee Indians comma October 24 comma 1804 period close quotes In in italics Indian Affairs colon Laws and Treaties comma edited by Charles J period Kappler comma vol period 4 comma 73 hyphen 74 period Washington comma D period C period colon  Government Printing Office comma 1904 period