Omari Gates
The American Psychological Association's official guide to APA style (7th edition) does not include examples for non-US legislation and suggests referring to other specialised guides for law referencing styles. For Australian legislation, the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (3rd edition) is used. For referencing Australian government documents in APA style, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is a commonly used source of information for academic tasks. Reports by the ABS are treated as corporate authors, with the first in-text citation as: (Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS], 2008).
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Style Guide | APA Style Guide |
| Applicable to | Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reports, Australian legislation |
| Referencing Style | APA7 Referencing Style |
| Retrieval Date | Include if the page's content is designed to change |
| Bills | Treated as unpublished works, title not italicised |
| Australian Legislation | Refer to the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (3rd ed.) |
| Act Title | Italicise the short title of the act |
| Year of Passage | Italicise the year of passage |
| Jurisdiction | Abbreviate, e.g., Commonwealth (Cth) |
| Author | Use the issuing or publishing department/organisation if no author is listed |
| Publisher | Omit if the author and publisher are the same |
| Multiple Layers of Government | Use the most specific agency as the author |
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What You'll Learn
Citing Australian Bureau of Statistics sources
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is a commonly used source of information for academic tasks. When citing ABS sources in APA format, the following key elements should be included:
- Author and Publisher: The Australian Bureau of Statistics is both the author and publisher of its sources. Therefore, the publisher name can be omitted from the reference.
- Report Number: ABS reports differ slightly from regular government reports in that the report number should be listed.
- Full Name and Abbreviation: When introducing the source for the first time, use the full name "Australian Bureau of Statistics" and then introduce the abbreviation "ABS", which can be used in subsequent citations.
- Reference Period and Year of Publication: Include the reference period and year of publication for the source.
- Title of Issue and URL: Provide the title of the issue or webpage and its URL.
- Access Date: Since ABS content is designed to change over time and is continuously updated, include the date the source was accessed.
For a webpage:
Australian Bureau of Statistics (Reference period: Month YYYY) Title of webpage [URL], ABS Website, accessed DD Month YYYY.
For a census publication:
Australian Bureau of Statistics (Year of Publication) 'Title of Census material', Title of Census Publication [URL], accessed DD month YYYY.
For a data set:
Australian Bureau of Statistics (Year of publication) 'Title of data cube' [data set], Title of issue [URL], accessed DD month YYYY.
For a map, table, graph, or image:
Australian Bureau of Statistics (Year of publication) 'Title of map/table/graph/image' [description of material if not included in title], Title of publication [URL], accessed DD Month YYYY.
Note that the ABS website also provides tips on citing ABS tables and images, which can be adapted to the APA referencing style. Additionally, some pages on the ABS website are updated regularly, so always include a retrieval date if the page's contents are designed to change.
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Referencing Australian legislation
When referencing Australian legislation using the APA 7th edition, the Australian Guide to Legal Citation, 4th edition (AGLC4) is used for formatting reference list sources. The AGLC4 is specific to Australian legal referencing. For in-text citations, use the standard APA7 format for works with no author.
- Bills in Australia are considered unpublished works, so the title is not italicised. However, the year is italicised as it is considered part of the title of the Act.
- For electronic sources, include the electronic source in the reference, and the retrieved date if the content is likely to be updated. If the URL is too long, provide the URL of the database from which the document can be retrieved, using the words 'available from'.
- Jurisdictions are abbreviated and placed in brackets, e.g. (Cth) for Commonwealth, (Vic) for Victoria, (UK) for the United Kingdom.
- When referencing international legal documents, round brackets are used when the report series is organised by volume numbers, while square brackets are used when the reports are organised by year. Ensure that the brackets used in your citation match those in your source.
- Do not include a URL in the reference unless the content was sourced from Open Access databases such as AustLII, Jade, or the Federal Register of Legislation. If the source is from a subscription database, provide only the URL of the database.
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Citing Australian government websites
When citing Australian government websites in APA 7th edition style, you can refer to the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (3rd ed.) as the APA manual does not contain examples for non-US legislation.
For Australian legislation, you should include the short title of the act in italics, followed by the year of passage, also in italics. For example: *Privacy Act 1988 (Cth)*. Note that the reference to the year should be the year the act was originally passed, not the year of any amendments.
If you are referring to multiple sections of an act, you must cite the act in full in your reference list and refer to the specific sections in the body text. For example: "A breach of a registered APP code is an interference with the privacy of an individual" (*Privacy Act 1988* pt III div 3).
When using Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reports, include a retrieval date as the page's contents may be updated regularly. The ABS website also has tips on how to cite tables and images, which can be adapted to the APA 7th edition style.
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In-text citations
The Australian Guide to Legal Citation (3rd ed.) is used for Australian legislation. For in-text citations, cite the act in full and refer to the specific sections in the text. For example: "A breach of a registered APP code is an interference with the privacy of an individual" (Privacy Act 1988 pt III div 3).
When using Australian government documents as sources, it is important to include a retrieval date if the contents of the webpage are designed to change. This is common with reports by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), which are regularly updated.
If there is no author stated for the document, use the name of the issuing or publishing department or organisation as the in-text citation. If the author and publisher are the same (which is often the case with group authors), omit the publisher. When multiple layers of government are listed as authors, use the most specific agency as the author.
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Citing government reports
When citing government reports, the general structure includes listing the department or organisation responsible for the report, followed by the publication year, report title, and any relevant details such as report number or URL. For example:
> National Indigenous Research and Knowledges Network. (2020). Annual report for the year ending 31 December 2019. Australian Research Council. https://www.nirakn.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/24660-NIRAKN-Report-2019_F2_Hres.pdf
Note that the issuing or publishing department or organisation is used as the author if no specific author is given. In cases where the author and publisher are the same, as is common with group authors, omit the publisher information.
When multiple layers of government are listed as authors, use the most specific agency as the author. For instance, if both the Administrative Review Council and the Attorney-General's Department are mentioned, credit the citation to the Administrative Review Council.
For Australian legislation, the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (3rd ed.) is the recommended guide. This guide is based on the format provided by the Melbourne University Law Review Association and the Melbourne Journal of International Law.
Additionally, when referencing acts or legislation, follow these guidelines:
- Use italics for the short title of the act and the year of passage, e.g., Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).
- Include the URL to the authorised government webpage.
- If referring to multiple sections of an act, cite the act in full in your reference list and refer to specific sections in the text.
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Frequently asked questions
The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association: the official guide to APA style (7th edition) does not contain examples for non-US legislation and suggests referring to other specialized law referencing styles. For Australian legislation, the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (3rd edition) has been used.
Short title of the act in italics. Year of passage in italics. Add the year of passage if it is not included in the short title of the act. Reference to the year should be the year the act was originally passed, not the year of amendment or compilation. Jurisdiction abbreviated, e.g. Commonwealth (Cth) or state legislation.
If there is no author, use the name of the issuing or publishing department or organisation. If the author is the same as the publisher, omit the publisher. When multiple layers of government are listed as the author, use the most specific agency as the author.
