Subject guides: Education: Referencing Curriculum Material & Standards

How to reference - based on APA 7th guidance for citing a government document.

In-Text Citations

In-Text Citations for direct quotes or referencing a specific section of the curriculum

Rule

First in text citation: (Full name of the government department [Abbreviation], year)
Each subsequent citation: (Abbreviation, year)

If you are including a direct quote include the page number if you are citing a document; or if you are citing a section from a website, use paragraph number if there are no page numbers available.

Remember to cite the version you used.

Example

First citation & direct quote

Downloaded document

(Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], 2022, p. 2)

(Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority [VCAA], 2022, p. 3)

Website

(Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], n.d., para. 2)

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority [VCAA], n.d, para 3)

In-Text Citations for paraphrasing the curriculum

Rule

As with direct quotes, the same format applies except you do not include page or paragraph numbers.

Example

(Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], 2022)

(Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], n.d)

(Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority [VCAA], 2022)

(Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority [VCAA], n.d.)

Notes on in-text citing:

When using multiple reports from the same website, differentiate the sources by adding a letter to the year.

Example:

(ACARA, 2022a, p. 3)

2. The first in-text citation will need to include the authoring body's name in full, followed by the acronym in square brackets:

Example:

(Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], 2022)

Second and subsequent citations use the abbreviated or acronym form of the authoring body.

Examples:

(ACARA, 2022)

(ACARA, 2022, p.8)

Reference Lists

Format

Reference the version that you used to write your work. If you used a downloaded PDF or word document, follow the government and other reports format. If you used a website, follow the websites and social media format.

Website

Author. (Date). Title: Subtitle if needed. URL

Document from a website

Author. (Date). Title of work: Subtitle if needed. URL.

Example (s)

Website

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (n.d). Health and physical education - Years 7 and 8. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/learning-areas/health-and-physical-education/year-7

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. (n.d.) Mathematics Version 2.0 - Level 5. https://victoriancurriculum.vcaa.vic.edu.au/mathematics/mathematics-version-2-0/curriculum/f-10

Document

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2022). Cross-curriculum priorities: Sustainability version 9.0. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/content/dam/en/curriculum/ac-version-9/downloads/cross-curriculum-priorities/cross-curriculum-priorities-sustainability-about-the-cross-curriculum-priority-v9.docx

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. (2023) Mathematics: Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0. https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/viccurric/maths/maths2-0/MathematicsV2.docx

In-Text Citations

In-Text Citations (first time)

Rule	The Author is the Australian Government Department of Education is written out in full, followed by the abbreviation in square brackets [AGDE], and year of publication.
Example	(Australian Government Department of Education [AGDE], 2022)

Note: Department name & abbreviation sourced from version two of the EYLF.

Second and subsequent times

Rule	The Author is the Australian Government Department of Education but is abbreviated to AGDE and year of publication.
Example	(AGDE, 2022)

Note:

Where a direct quote is used the page number (or paragraph number if there are no page numbers) should be included.

Example:

(AGDE, 2022, p. 7) or (AGDE, 2022, para. 7)

Reference Lists

Electronic/Online

Note: Where the Government Department/Author name is the same as the publisher, omit the publisher name.

Format	Name of Government Department [abbreviation/acronym/initialism] (year of publication). Title of publication. (version number or report number). Publisher. https://xxxxx
Example	Australian Government Department of Education [AGDE], (2022). Belonging, being and becoming: The early years learning framework for Australia. (V2.0). https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-01/EYLF-2022-V2.0.pdf

In-Text Citations to specific standards

In-Text Citations (first time)

Rule	The Author is the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership and is written out in full the first time followed by the Acronym or abbreviation in square brackets [AITSL]. There is no year of publication for these standards so use n.d. Then include the specific standard you are referring to eg, Standard X.X
Example	(Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership [AITSL], n.d., Standard 2.1)

Second and subsequent times

Rule	The Author is the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership but is abbreviated to AITSL and year is still n.d. and include the word Standard and the number.
Example	(AITSL, n.d., Standard 2.1)

Reference Lists

Format	Organisation/ Author, (year of publication). Title of publication. URL
Example	Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (n.d.). Australian professional standards for teachers. https://aitsl.edu.au/standards

NOTE: Refer to specific standards in the in text citations, but only include one reference to the complete standards.

In-Text Citations

In-Text Citations (first time)

Rule	The Author is the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Followed by Acronym in square brackets [ACARA] and year of publication.
Example	(Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], 2020)

Second and subsequent times

Rule	The Author is the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority but is abbreviated (ACARA) and year of publication. If quoting directly then add the paragraph or page number.
Example	(ACARA, 2020, para. 6)

Reference Lists

Format

Author, A. A. (year of publication). Title of publication (Report number if available). URL or publisher information

Example

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. [ACARA]. (2017). My School: St Kilda Primary School profile (2016). https://myschool.edu.au/school/44292

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. [ACARA]. (2016). National Assessment Program: Example questions Year 3/5. https://www.nap.edu.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/examplequestions-years-3-and-5.pdf?sfvrsn=2

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. [ACARA]. (2017). National Assessment Program: National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (National report for 2017). http://www.nap.edu.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/naplan-national-report-2017_final_04dec2017.pdf?sfvrsn=0

In-Text Citations to High Impact Standards for Teaching - PDF version.

In-Text Citations (first time)

Rule	The Author is the Department of Education and Training and is written out in full the first time followed by the acronym or abbreviation in square brackets [DET], Year. Include a page number for direct quotes.
Example	(Department of Education and Training [DET], 2020, p.3)

Second and subsequent times

Rule	(Author abbreviation, Year)
Example	(DET, 2020)

Reference List

Format	Organisation/ Author. (Date). Title of publication. URL if available
Example	Department of Education and Training. (2020). High impact teaching strategies: Excellence in teaching and learning. https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/school/teachers/support/high-impact-teaching-strategies.pdf

NOTE: The key point to remember is to reference the version that you have read. If you read the website version, reference the website version. If you read the PDF version, reference the PDF version.