How to Cite a Government Document in ASA (7th Edition)

This guide explains how to format a government document citation in ASA (7th Edition). Follow the format template below, refer to the real example, and use the step-by-step instructions to build your citation correctly.

Format Template

The general pattern for citing a government document in ASA (7th Edition):

Template

Agency or Author. Year. "Title of Document." Report/Publication No. Place: Publisher. Retrieved Month Day, Year (URL).

In-Text Citation Example

How the citation appears within the body of your paper:

In-text citation

(U.S. Department of Education 2024:18)

Reference List Entry Example

The full citation as it appears in your reference list:

Reference list entry

U.S. Department of Education. 2024. "Digest of Education Statistics." NCES 2024-009. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved March 28, 2026 (https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/).

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Identify the author or agency
Use the full name of the government agency. For individuals, invert all names: Last, First.
2
Add the year
Write the year of publication, followed by a period.
3
Write the document title
Place the title in quotation marks with headline-style capitalization.
4
Include the report number
Add the report or publication number after the title.
5
Add publication details and URL
Write the place of publication, publisher, and the URL in ASA format: Retrieved Date (URL).

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using a comma instead of a colon before page numbers in the in-text citation.
Not using the ASA 'Retrieved Date (URL)' format.
Using initials instead of full first names.
Omitting the report or publication number.
Not inverting all author names when citing individuals.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does ASA format URLs for government documents?

ASA uses the 'Retrieved Month Day, Year (URL)' format, with the URL in parentheses. This is a distinguishing feature of ASA style.

Do I use a colon or comma before page numbers in ASA in-text citations?

Use a colon with no space: (U.S. Department of Education 2024:18). This differs from APA's comma.

Should I invert the agency name?

No. Organizational names are not inverted. Only individual author names are inverted (Last, First) in ASA.

Information You Will Need

Before creating your citation, gather the following information from your government document:

Author/Agency
Title
Publication Number
Publisher
Year
URL

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Step-by-Step Guide

Identify the author or agency

Use the full name of the government agency. For individuals, invert all names: Last, First.

Add the year

Write the year of publication, followed by a period.

Write the document title

Place the title in quotation marks with headline-style capitalization.

Include the report number

Add the report or publication number after the title.

Add publication details and URL

Write the place of publication, publisher, and the URL in ASA format: Retrieved Date (URL).