Subject guides: Harvard: Government and industry publications

Government and industry publications

General Notes

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.

In-text citation

One author

Format

(Author's surname Year)

Author's surname (Year)

Example

This was seen in an Australian study (Couch 2017)

Couch (2017) suggests that . . .

Organisation as author

Format

(Abbreviation of organisation Year)

Abbreviation of organisation (Year)

Example

(DFAT 2016)

DFAT (2016) . . .

Tips

List the authors names in the same order as they appear in the article.
For organisations, use the abbreviated name if known, otherwise write organisation name in full.
Go to Getting started > In-text citation to view other examples such as multiple authors.

Report by an Australian Government agency

Reference list

Format

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

Report to an Australian Government agency

Reference list

Format

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, NSW Health, accessed 4 February 2021. https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/workforce/alliedhealth/Pages/social-work-workforce-mapping-project.aspx

Report known by a short title

In-text citation

Sometimes a report is widely known by a short title or unofficial title, this short title should be used in-text.

Format

(Short title Year)

Short title (Year)

Example

(Gonski report 2011)

The Gonski report (2011) recommends that . . .

Reference list

Format

Short title - Author A or Agency Name (Year) Title of report: subtitle of report, Agency Name, Organisation Name, accessed Day Month Year. URL

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

Report that is part of a series

Reference list

Format

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

Media releases

Reference list

Format

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

Australian Bureau of Statistics sources

Reference list

Format

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

Company and Industry reports

Reference list

Format

Company Name (Year) Title of report: subtitle of report, report no. xxx, accessed Day Month Year. URL

Author A (Year) Title of report: subtitle of report, Organisation Name, Repository Name.

Example

Ernst & Young (2023) How can value realized today reshape tomorrow? EY Value Realized 2023: reporting progress on global impact, report no. EYG no. 008138-23Gbl, accessed 18 January 2024. https://www.ey.com/en_gl/value-realized-annual-report

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).

Tips

Do not include the organisation name if it is the same as the author
Include any report numbers after the title of the report
When including a URL, include the accessed date

Standards

Reference list

Format

Standards Publisher (Year) Catalogue Number: Title of standard, Xth edn, accessed DD Month Year. URL

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

Patents

Reference list

Format

Patent Organisation (Year) Title of patent, patent no. XXX, accessed DD Month Year. URL

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