Government and industry publications are documents produced by agencies, companies, departments, industry bodies and non-government organisations. They are sometimes called ‘grey literature’, and they represent a wide variety of sources including reports, papers and transcripts.
Government and industry publications often acknowledge the agency or organisation rather than an individual author and are commonly listed that way in the references.
When alphabetising names of organisations omit articles (a, an and the) at the beginning.
If you access a government or industry publication through a database or repository, list the name of the database in place of the URL.
The rules for government and industry publications with one author, two or more authors, an organisation as author, or no author are the same as the general rules for presenting authors in reference list entries described on the Reference list page of this guide.
Please note: The Style Manual states to hyperlink the title of online sources such as reports, media releases, etc, rather than including the URL. However, this will not work in citation management software such as EndNote, and the URL will not display if your work is printed. For these reasons, we recommend including the URL at the end of the reference rather than hyperlinking the title so that your readers/markers can easily locate your references if necessary.
If you’re citing a PDF, avoid linking directly to the PDF. Instead, link to the page that hosts the PDF.
Sources that have title pages will usually detail the author and publisher.
Rule: Author A or Agency Name (Year) Title of report: subtitle of report, Name of Agency, Name of Government, accessed Day Month Year. URL
Example: DSS (Department of Social Services) (2021) Annual report, DSS, Australian Government, accessed 20 January 2022. https://www.dss.gov.au/publications-articles-corporate-publications-annual-reports/department-of-social-services-annual-report-2020-21
Rule: Author A or Agency Name (Year) Title of report: subtitle of report, report to Agency Name, Organisation Name, accessed Day Month Year. URL
Example: Urbis (2018) NSW Health Social Work Workforce: horizon scanning and scenario generation, final report to NSW Ministry of Health Workforce Planning and Development Branch, accessed 4 February 2021. https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/workforce/alliedhealth/Pages/social-work-workforce-mapping-project.aspx
Sometimes a report is widely known by a short title or unofficial title. If you’re citing a source like this, use the short title in-text.
In the reference list, use the short title followed by a dash and the full source information.
In-text citation example: The Gonski report (2011) recommends that ...
Reference example: Gonski report - Gonski D, Boston K, Greiner K, Lawrence C, Scales B and Tannock P (2011) Review of funding for schooling: final report, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, Australian Government, accessed 22 January 2021. www.dese.gov.au/school-funding/resources/review-funding-schooling-final-report-december-2011
Rule: Author A or Agency Name (Year) ‘Title of report: subtitle of report’, Name of Series, catalogue number, Name of Agency, Name of Government, accessed Day Month Year. URL
Example: AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) (2019) 'Australia's welfare 2019 data insights', Australia’s Welfare Series 14, catalogue number AUS 226, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 5 February 2020. www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-welfare/australias-welfare-2019-data-insights/contents/summary
Include the name of the author/s if they are listed, otherwise, use the name of the organisation as the author. Include the word media release in square brackets after the title.
Rule: Author A (Day Month Year) Title of media release: subtitle of media release [media release], Organisation name, accessed Day Month Year. URL
OR
Rule: Abbreviation of organisation (full name of organisation) (Day Month Year) Title of media release: subtitle of media release [media release], Organisation name, accessed Day Month Year. URL
Example: ACT Government (4 February 2020) ACT has highest student participation and employment [media release], ACT Government, accessed 5 February 2020. www.cmtedd.act.gov.au/open_government/inform/act_government_media_releases/barr/2020/act-has-highest-student-participation-and-employment
To cite a record of what was said in parliament verbatim, as recorded in Hansard, use the volume and page number.
Rule: Name of Parliamentary Committee or House (Year) Debates, volume:page–page
Example: Australian Senate (2000) Debates, S25:65
To cite the official records of proceedings in each house of parliament, include the volume or issue number and the page number. Official Australian Parliament records may be from the Journals of the Senate or the Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives.
Rule: Name of Parliamentary House (Year) Journals or Votes and Proceedings, (issue):page-page OR volume:page–page
Example: Australian Senate (2000–01) Journals, (123):718
OR
Australian House of Representatives (2000–01) Votes and Proceedings, 1:631
Please note: ABS sources no longer include catalogue numbers.
Rule: ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) (Year) Title of publication, accessed Day Month Year. URL
Example: ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) (2020) Business indicators, business impacts of COVID-19, accessed 22 January 2021. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/business-indicators/business-indicators-business-impacts-covid-19/dec-2020
These follow the same general rules as government reports. If you access publications through a database or repository, like the APO (Analysis & Policy Observatory), list the name of the repository instead of a URL.
Example: Uther E (2016) Mates over merit: the women in media report: a study of gender differences in Australian media, Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, APO (Analysis & Policy Observatory).
List company publications by the company’s name, or by the author's name if they are included in the title page. Include any catalogue numbers after the title.
Example: Ernst & Young 2018, Global review 2018: how do we create value and build trust in this transformative age?, report no. EYG04315-183Gbl, accessed 15 November 2019. https://www.ey.com/en_gl/
Example: Boles E (2018) The power of partnership: towards social change: annual report 2017-18, Engineers Without Borders Australia, accessed 19 November 2019. https://ewb.app.box.com/s/ljr0fdpnyr1qc6x5itsm0nnx5xgiivws
Standards published by government or industry bodies list any catalogue numbers as part of the title.
Example: Standards Australia (2015) SA HB 39:2015: Installation code for metal roof and wall cladding, 3rd edn, accessed 29 November 2019. https://subscriptions-techstreet-com.ap1.proxy.openathens.net/products/811242
Governments issue numbered patents to give entities the sole right to produce, use or sell inventions. List the patent number after the title.
Example: CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) (2009) Aqueous coating solutions and method for the treatment of a metal surface, patent no. 2009202792, accessed 29 November 2019. http://www.ipmonitor.com.au/patents/case/2009202792