How to Cite a Government Document in Turabian (9th Edition)

This guide explains how to format a government document citation in Turabian (9th 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 Turabian (9th Edition):

Template

Note: Agency or Author, Title of Document, Report No. (Place: Publisher, Year), page, URL. Bibliography: Agency or Author. Title of Document. Report No. Place: Publisher, Year. URL.

In-Text Citation Example

How the citation appears within the body of your paper:

In-text citation

1. U.S. Department of Education, Digest of Education Statistics, NCES 2024-009 (Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, 2024), 18, https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/.

Reference List Entry Example

The full citation as it appears in your reference list:

Reference list entry

U.S. Department of Education. Digest of Education Statistics. NCES 2024-009. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, 2024. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Identify the author or agency
Use the full agency name. In notes: standard order. In bibliography: inverted for individual authors.
2
Write the document title
Italicize the title using headline-style capitalization.
3
Include the report number
Add the report or publication number after the title.
4
Add publication details
In notes, place city, publisher, and year in parentheses. In bibliography, write them after a period.
5
Add URL
Include the full URL for online documents.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using the wrong name order in notes vs. bibliography.
Not italicizing the document title.
Omitting the place of publication.
Forgetting the report or publication number.
Using APA-style formatting instead of Turabian's notes-bibliography format.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Turabian cite government documents differently from Chicago?

Turabian follows Chicago closely but simplifies some requirements for student papers. The format for government documents is essentially the same.

Do I include the report number?

Yes. Include any report, publication, or catalogue number to help readers locate the specific document.

Where does the agency name go?

The agency name serves as the author. If an individual author is named, the agency goes in the publisher position.

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 agency name. In notes: standard order. In bibliography: inverted for individual authors.

Write the document title

Italicize the title using headline-style capitalization.

Include the report number

Add the report or publication number after the title.

Add publication details

In notes, place city, publisher, and year in parentheses. In bibliography, write them after a period.

Add URL

Include the full URL for online documents.