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Harvard Reference Style

An introduction to the Harvard referencing system with reference formats & examples. This variation of Harvard Reference Style is compiled by Nelson Mandela University Library and Information Services.

Government publications: Reference format

A basic reference list entry for a government publication:

  • Name of the country
  • Full name of government department
  • Year 
  • Title (Report series and number if available)
  • Print copies: Place: Publisher 
  • Online copies: DOI/Available: URL [Date of access]

 

Example:

South Africa. Department of Home Affairs. 2006. Annual report (RP53/2006). Pretoria: Government printer.

Government Pub reference example

 

Government publications: Examples

 

TYPE REFERENCE LIST IN-TEXT CITATION
Government publication

Components:

Name of the country. Full name of government department. Year. Title (Report series and number if available). Place: Publisher.

 

Example:

South Africa. Department of Home Affairs. 2006. Annual report (RP53/2006). Pretoria: Government printer.

 

Notes:

Publisher will be the official printer/publisher for the government of that country, e.g.

·         South Africa: Government Printer

·         UK: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office (HMSO)

·         USA: US Government Printing Office

 

 

Example:

… (South Africa. Department of Home Affairs, 2006:12-20).

 

 Notes:

When using the name of an organization avoid putting it at the beginning of a sentence.
Government publication (online)

Components:

Name of the country. Full name of government department. Year. Title (Report series and number if available). doi/Available: URL [Date of access].

 

Examples:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. 2003. Managing asthma: a guide for schools (NIH Publication No. 02-2650). Available: http://www.nhlbi.nih .gov/health/prof/lung/asthma/asth_sch.pdf [5 December 2017].

Example:

 

… (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, 2003:50).

 

Notes:

When using the name of an organization avoid putting it at the beginning of a sentence.

 

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