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Legislative Materials

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Bluebook Rule (21st): 13

Citation of legislative material is covered by rule 13. The Bluebook states that when citing United States legislative material (except debates), you should include the title, if relevant, the abbreviated name of the chamber, the number of the Congress, the number assigned to the material, and the year of publication. State materials are typically cited the same way.

Bills and Resolutions Bluebook Rule (21st): 13.2

Rule 13.2 holds that you should include in your citation the name of the bill, if relevant, the abbreviated name of the house, the number of the bill, the number of the Congress, the section, and the publication year. If there are multiple versions of the same bill, you can indicate such in a parenthetical.

Enacted bills are considered "statutes" for Bluebook purposes, and should be cited as such (except when documenting legislative history).

Example : Orphan Works Act of 2008, H.R. 5889, 110th Cong. § 2 (2008).

Hearings Bluebook Rule (21st): 13.3

To cite committee hearings, you should include the entire title as it appears on the cover, the bill number, the subcommittee name, the committee name, the number of the Congress, the page number of the material cited, and the year of publication. State and federal materials follow the same form. Subcommittee and committee names may be abbreviated according to tables T6 , T9 , and T10 .

Example : Promoting the Use of Orphan Works: Balancing the Interests of Copyright Owners and Users: Hearing Before the Subcomm. on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property, 110 Cong. 52 (2008) (Statement of Corinne P. Kevorkian). 

Reports, documents, and committee prints Bluebook Rule (21st): 13.4

Citations to reports should include the name of the house, the number of the Congress with the number of the report, the part or page number, and the year of publication.

Legislative reports, like reports from the Congressional Research Service, are cited as reports with institutional authors according to rule 15.1(c) .

Example : H.R. Rep No. 105-452, at 5 (1998).

State materials generally follow the same rules. However, if it is not clear, provide the name of the state parenthetically.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do i cite a congressional research service report.

A Congressional Research Service report with an individual author:

Woolf, Amy F. (2021, December 14).  U.S. strategic nuclear forces: Background, development, and issues. (CRS Report No. RL33640).  https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RL/RL33640 . 

A Congressional Research Services report without an individual author:

Congressional Research Services. (Date). Title.  (CRS Report No. RLxxxxx). https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdfRLxxxxx.

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Bluebook Guide: Legislative Materials

  • Introduction
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  • Random Examples
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  • Constitutions
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  • Whitepages Special Citations
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  • Periodical Author, Title & Name
  • Types of Periodicals
  • Bluepages 17
  • White Pages 17 - Examples
  • Electronic & Nonprint
  • Foreign Materials
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  • UIC Law Review

In some instances, extensive research into legislative materials may be necessary for completing a law review article or court document.

A full citation to legislative materials will include the following components (but not necessarily) in the following order:  (1) the title of the material;  (2) the abbreviated name of the legislative body;  (3) the number assigned to the material;  (4) the number of the Congress and/or legislative session; and  (5) the year of publication.

The Bluepages provide a short overview with examples for citation of legislative materials.  See B13, pp. 21-22.  As noted previously in this guide, a Whitepage Rule may be used to supplement a corresponding Bluepage Rule.  The Whitepages provide a more comprehensive approach to citation legislative materials.  See R13, pp. 135-42. 

Of course, Illinois practitioners must be wary of citation practices under local rules.

For more information on legislative research, consult the Law Library's research guides on Federal Legislative History Research and Illinois Legislative History Research .

Federal Bills and Resolutions

Enacted bills and joint resolutions are statutes, so they are cited as statutes except when used to document legislative history, in which case they are cited as unenacted bills.  Unenacted and enacted federal bills and resolutions will generally contain the same elements with the exception that unless otherwise clear in context, the fact of enactment should be noted parenthetically.  See R.13.2(a) & (b), pp. 136-37.

The Bluebook provides the following examples:

  • S. 516, 105th Cong. § 2 (1997).
  • H.R. 422, 106th Cong. (1999).
  • S. 593, 101st Cong. § 2 (as passed by Senate, May 31, 1989).
  • S. Res. 141, 106th Cong. (1999) (enacted).
  • S. Con. Res. 97, 94th Cong., 90 Stat. 3024 (1976).

State Bills and Resolutions

When citing state bills and resolutions, include the name of the legislative body, abbreviated according to T6, T9, and T10, the number of the bill or resolution, the number of the legislative body (or, if not numbered, the year of the body), and the number or designation of the legislative session.  The parenthetical information will include the name of the state, abbreviated according to T10, and the year of enactment (for an enacted bill or resolution) or the year of publication (for an unenacted bill or resolution).  R13.2(c), p. 137.

  • H.D. 636, 1999 Leg., 413th Sess. (Md. 1999).
  • H.R. 189, 145th Gen. Assemb ., Reg. Sess. (Ga. 1999).

Federal Committee Hearings

Citations for hearing, in general, will be lengthy.  When citing committee hearings (both federal and state), the entire subject matter title (in italics) should be included, along with the bill number (if available), the subcommittee's name (if any), the committee's name, the number of the relevant legislative branch, the page number of the material cited, and the year of the publication.  The names for the subcommittee and committee should be abbreviated according to T6, T9, and T10.  A parenthetical may be included for a given individual's statement.  See R13.3(a), pp. 137-38.

  • Protection from Personal Intrusion Act and Privacy Protection Act of 1998:  Hearing on H.R. 2448 and H.R. 3224 Before the H. Comm. on the Judiciary , 105th Cong. 56–57 (1998) (statement of Richard Masur, President, Screen Actors Guild).
  • Copyright Protection for Semiconductor Chips: Hearing on H.R. 1028 Before the Subcomm . on Cts ., C.L. & the Admin. of Just. of the H. Comm. on the Judiciary , 98th Cong. 14 (1983) (statement of Jon A. Baumgarten, Copyright Counsel, Association of American Publishers).
  • Tribal Energy Self-Sufficiency Act and the Native American Energy Development and Self-Determination Act: Hearing on S. 424 and S. 522 Before the S. Comm. on Indian Affs . , 108th Cong. 1 (2003) (statement of Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Chairman, S. Comm. on Indian Aff .).

State Committee Hearings

The citation for state committee hearings will follow the same format as set forth above.  R13.3(b), p. 138.   The Bluebook provides the following citation example for a state committee hearing.

Tax Credit for Cost of Providing Commuter Benefits to Employees: Hearing on H.D. 636 Before the H. Comm. on Ways & Means , 1999 Leg., 413th Sess. 5–8 (Md. 1999) (statement of Del. Paul Carlson, Member, H. Comm. on Ways & Means).

Numbered Federal Reports and Documents

The Bluebook provides noteworthy specifics for citation of federal and state reports, documents, and committee prints.   Federal reports and documents may be numbered or unnumbered, and The Bluebook addresses both instances.  See R13.4(a) & (b), pp. 138-39.

When citing a numbered federal report, include the name of the house, the number of the Congress connected by a hyphen to the number of the report, the part and/or page number on which the material being cited appears, and the year of publication.  It must be noted that large and small caps for the house, abbreviation of report, and abbreviation of number must be used.  Parenthetical information may be included to note if the pertinent report is a conference report.

The Bluebook provides the following examples for clarification:

  • H.R. Rep. No. 99-253, pt. 1, at 54 (1985).
  • S. Rep. No. 84-2, at 7 (1955).
  • H.R. Rep. No. 98-1037, at 3 (1984) (Conf. Rep.).
  • S. Rep. No. 95-601, at 5 (1977) (Conf. Rep.).

With respect to federal documents and international agreements, The Bluebook sets forth the following formulations.

  • House Document   >   H.R. Doc. No.
  • Senate Document   >   S. Doc. No.
  • House Miscellaneous Document   >   H.R. Misc. Doc. No.
  • Senate Executive Document   >   S. Exec. Doc. No.
  • Senate Treaty Doc.   >   S. Treaty Doc. No.

For reports and documents published after 1974, provide a parallel citation to the permanent edition of United States Code Congressional and Administrative News (U.S.C.C.A.N.).  See also R12.6, pp. 127-128.   The Bluebook provides an example of a parallel citation in this circumstance:

S. Rep. No. 95-797, at 4 (1978), as reprinted in 1978 U.S.C.C.A.N. 9260, 9263.

When available, the title and author (whether as an individual or institution) of numbered reports or documents may be indicated in large and small caps.   The Bluebook provides the following examples for this scenario:

  • Carlton Koepge , The Road to Industrial Peace , H.R. Doc. No. 82-563, at 29–30 (1953).
  • U.S. Immigr . Comm'n, Immigration Legislation, S. Doc. No. 61-758, at 613 (3d Sess. 1911).

Unnumbered Federal Reports and Documents (R13.4(c), p. 139)

Turning to unnumbered federal documents and committee prints, The Bluebook directs that citation to these materials must be to that of an institutional author.  Also note that the number of Congress will be part of the author's name.  Further, in the case, where the document or committee print is the work of a specific person or group, that may be noted parenthetically.   The Bluebook provides the following example of a citation for an unnumbered committee print.  See R13.4(c), p. 139.

Staff of S. Comm. on the Judiciary, 81st Cong., Rep. on Antitrust Law 17 (Comm. Print 1950).

Federal Legislative Agency Reports and Federal Legislative Journals

Federal legislative agency reports, i.e., Congressional Research Service (CRS) or Government Accountability Office (GAO), must be cited as a work of an institutional author.  The report number (as given by the pertinent agency) will be included as part of the title with all of this information being presented in large and small caps.  See R13.4(d) & (e), p. 139.   The Bluebook provides examples of citations for federal legislative agency reports.

  • Louis Fisher, Cong. Rsch . Serv., RL31340, Military Tribunals: The Quirin Precedent 30 (2002).
  • U.S. Gov't Accountability Off., GAO-08-751, Food and Drug Administration: Approval and Oversight of the Drug Mifeprex 27 (2008).

Finally, with respect to federal materials in this subcategory, The Bluebook provides the following citation model for federal legislative journals.  Note that only the title will be presented in large and small caps in this case.

S. Journal, 24th Cong., 2d Sess. 123–24 (1836).

State Materials

Citations to state materials generally follow the same citation of their federal analogs.  As such, the citation will include the name of the legislative body (abbreviated in accordance with T6, T9, and T10), the number of the legislative body connected by a hyphen to the number of the report or document, the number of the legislative session, the part or page number on which the material being cited appears, and the year of publication (in the parenthetical).  A state abbreviation (in accordance with T10) will also be necessary for the parenthetical unless it is clear from the title or author information appearing in the citation.  See R13.4(f), p. 139.

The Bluebook provides a general example of a citation for a state legislative document:

S. 178-247, 1st Sess., at 4 (Pa. 1994).

The Bluebook also indicates that the author (whether as an individual or an institution) and title of numbered reports or documents may be indicated.  Note that the author and title will be presented in large and small caps.

The Bluebook provides the following pertinent example for this sort of citation:

Commonwealth of Pa. Dep't of Agric., Annual Report of the State Food Purchase Program , S. 178-247, 1st Sess., at 4 (1994).

Debates, Legislative Histories & Electronic Sources

The Bluebook covers citations and provides relevant examples for congressional debates (R13.5, p. 140), separately bound legislative histories (R13.6, p. 140), and electronic media and online sources (R13.7, pp. 140-41) in the rules noted above. 

Short Forms for Legislative Materials

As always, proper short citation forms are essential for academic legal writing.  See R13.8, p. 141-42.  The Bluebook gives directions on how to cite legislative materials in the text or footnotes of a law review article.  See R13.8(a), (b) & (c), p. 141.  The following table from The Bluebook contains examples of a full citation, a "text" form, and a "short"  citation form.  The use of large and small caps in some of the examples should be noted.

Basic Citation Forms for Legislative Materials

The Bluebook , at 135-36 provides this table as an example of basic citation forms for legislative materials for academic legal writing.  

The committee hearing and committee print examples might be good candidates for the use of  “hereinafter.”  

The Bluepages generally follow the same format with the exception of large and small caps are not used.  Examples for the Bluepages are provided at B13, pp. 21-22.  

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U.S. Federal Government: Citing Government Publications

  • Legislative
  • Citing Government Publications

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Citing government information can be a daunting task. Citation managers do not always know how to handle government documents and there isn't really an agreed-upon standard for citing all types of government publications. Always check the style manual for your particular citation style and use this guide for general advice.

The following information was taken from The Complete Guide to Citing Government Information Resources (ed. 3) Revised by Debora Cheney, 2002 . The examples were taken from various resources found at the Government Information Library at the University of Colorado-Boulder.

If your project or assignment requires citations in MLA style , please see the following document:

  • Citing Samples for Government Information Sources: MLA This guide to citing Government Publications is provided by the University of Nevada, Reno and provides guidance on citing Government Information resources in MLA

Citing Government Publications by Type

  • Legislation (Bills)
  • Congressional Research Service Reports
  • Laws & Regulations
  • Books & Reports

General Format Should Include:

  • Legislative body
  • Session number
  • Bill number
  • Title (may be abbreviated)
  • Version with date (if known)
  • Accession source and date of accession

U.S. Congress

State Congress

  • Legislative body, committee
  • Title of Hearing
  • Date of hearing/testimony
  • Unique identifying numbers
  • Publishing information (if print)
  • Source information and date accessed

House of Representatives Hearing

  • Congressional Research Service
  • (Publication/Report Number)
  • Prepared by Personal Author
  • Publishing information
  • Abbreviation (P.L. for public law, Pvt. L for private law)
  • Popular title or abbreviated title

P.L. 113-5 -- Pandemic and All- Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act of 2013

  • Section heading
  • Title number
  • U.S. Code or Code of Federal Regulations
  • Section number (within title number)
  • Edition/date of the last update, if known
  • Publishing information, if print
  • Source of information and date accessed

“Time for election of senators,” Title 2 U.S. Code , Pt. 1. 1934 ed. Available at: FDsys, http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collectionUScode; Accessed: 7/22/2013

Code of Federal Regulations

“Equal Access to Justice Act,” Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations , Sec. 16. Revised as of 7/1/2007. Available at: FDsys; http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collectionCfr.action?collectionCode=CFR; Accessed: 7/16/2013.

For Government Publications, the citation generally begins with the issuing agency rather than the author. One exception is if the work is part of a larger piece.

General Format

Geographic or Political Designation. Issuing Agency. Title: Subtitle (Medium). (Publication/Report Number). Edition. By Personal Author. (Series).(Notes).

Work by the Issuing Agency

U.S. Department of the Interior. Craters of the Moon: a guide to Craters of the Moon National Monument , Idaho. (Handbook).Washington: National Park Service, Division of Publications, 1991 (139).

One Personal Author

U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. On the Moon with Apollo 16, guidebook to Descartes region [with bibliographies] . By Gene Simmons. Washington, Apr. 1972. (NASA EP Series  No. 95).

More than Three Authors

U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Project Fog Drops 5, Task 1, Numerical model of advection fog, Task 2, Recommendation for simplified individual zero-gravity cloud physics experiments (Paper). By C. William Rogers et. al. Washington D.C., Dec. 1975. (NASA contractor report series No. 2633).

Chapter in a Larger Work

“Eastern Europe Region: Memorandum from Director of Central Intelligence to Helms to President Johnson,” pp. 65-66. In Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964-1968 . (Vol. XVII). Washington: Government Printing Office, 1996.

Website as the Source of Information

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. Advances in HIV/AIDS Research . Feb. 25, 2011. Available at: http://www.nih.gov/science/hiv/index.htm . Accessed: 6/20/2013.

For citing local, state, and federal court decisions, consult the Blue Book: A Uniform System of Citation . The following websites will take you to citation guides for the Blue Book.

  • Georgetown Library Bluebook Guide The purpose of this guide is to introduce The Bluebook and basic concepts of legal citation to new law students.
  • Introduction to Basic Legal Citation: Cornell The content of this guide is available in three different eBook versions, and the website also provides video tutorials
  • Suffolk University Boston: Bluebook Guide for Students This guide provides commentary, models and tips on the Bluebook (19th Edition) for law students.
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How to Cite U.S. Government Documents in APA Citation Style: Congressional Record

  • House and Senate Reports and Documents
  • Congressional Hearings & Testimony

Congressional Record

A note about urls.

  • Congressional Bills and Resolutions
  • Federal Laws/Statutes
  • Executive Documents -- Presidential Papers, Proclamations and Executive Orders
  • Rules/Regulations -- Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) and the Federal Register
  • Foreign Relations of the United States
  • State Legislative Documents
  • State Statutes (Laws)
  • Court Cases
  • Government Agencies
  • Other legal citations

The Publication Manual of the APA does not specifically address citing the Congressional Record . For materials not covered in the Publication Manual , the APA refers users to The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation . The recommendations below are based on the 21st edition of The Bluebook :

The Congressional Record is issued in two editions -- the Daily Edition and the Permanent Edition. Writers should "use the Daily Edition only for matters not yet appearing in the permanent collection." ( The Bluebook , 2020)

Citing to the Permanent Bound Edition:

In text citation:.

Following the general APA and Bluebook principles for citing legislative materials, the in-text citation would look like this:

  • (142 Cong. Rec. 14979, 1996)

Reference list:

Cite to the volume and page number of the permanent edition of the Congressional Record:

  • 142 Cong. Rec. 14979 (1996)
  • 142 Cong. Rec 14982 (1996) (statement of Sen. John McCain).

In the example, above, 142 is the volume, 14979 is the page number.

For proceedings that have not yet appeared in the Permanent Edition of the Congressional Record:

*If the text is not yet published in the permanent edition, you will need to cite to the Daily Edition. The Daily Edition includes the prefixes H, S and E.* before page numbers. (The Bluebook, 2020, p. 140).

Citing this in text is not specifically addressed in either The Bluebook or the APA Publication Manual. Following general APA and Bluebook principles for citing legislative materials:

  • (159 Cong. Rec. H227, 2013)
  • 159 Cong. Rec. H227 (daily ed. Jan. 23, 2013) (statement of  Rep. Yarmuth)  

These abbreviations refer to sections of the Daily Edition: H=House; S=Senate; E=Extension of Remarks

If you found your reference in an academic database (like Proquest Congressional Publications, or Hein Online), the database URL is not included.

If you found your reference on the open web (for example, govinfo.gov, add the DOI (or, if a DOI is not available, the URL), after the final period.

See page 296 of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association , (2020) for more information.

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Federal Legislative History: Bluebook Citations

  • Pre-Research
  • Bills (Ref. # 1)
  • Committees (Ref. # 2, 4, 6)
  • Hearings (Ref. # 3)
  • Floor Debates (Ref. # 5)
  • Presidential Signing Statements (Ref. # 7)
  • Public Laws, U.S. Code (Ref. # 8, 9)
  • Legislative Histories
  • Statutory Interpretation
  • Links to Resources
  • Locating Microfiche
  • Bluebook Citations
  • I want to find ...

Bluebook Citation for Bills

In the 20th edition of The Bluebook, legislative materials are found in Rule 13.  A Bill is unenacted legislation. Often, you will need to include a parenthetical to indicate the date and stage of the bill especially if there are multiple versions of it in the same Congress.

Researching the legislative history of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the following information is found in the history of the statute:

Dec. 8, 2004, Pub.L. 108-447 , Div. E, Title I, § 143(b), 118 Stat. 3071.

Using Pub. L. 108-447, locate the bill number using Westlaw, Lexis Advance, or Congressional (Proquest) (UH logins only). 

It is H.R. 4818, in the 108th Congress.  It passed on Dec. 8, 2004.  We would cite this using Rule 13.2(a) as:

H.R. 4818, 108th Cong. Div. E, Title I, § 143(b) (2004).

Bluebook Citation for Hearings

Generally, follow Rule 13.3 in the 20th ed. of The Bluebook, and look for ways to use abbreviations found in the Tables. 

For example, say we want to cite to testimony from a hearing on Exotic Bird Species and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act given by David H. Pardoe, Board Member of the National Audubon Society about the need to exclude mute swans from the MBTA.  Testimony was taken Dec. 16, 2003, in the House Committee on Resources, Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans.  Pardoe's statement is on pages 34-66.  The citation would be:

Exotic Bird Species and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Hearing on H.R. 4818 Before the Subcomm. on  Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans of the H. Comm. on Resources , 108th Cong. 34-66 (2003) (statement of David H. Pardoe, Bd. Member, Nat'l Audubon Soc'y).

Bluebook Citations for Committee Documents

Committee reports.

Generally, follow Rule 13.4 in the 20th ed. of The Bluebook.

For example, in Bills, we tracked Pub. L. 108-447.  On Nov. 20, 2004, House Report 108-792, a Conference Committee Report for H.R. 4818, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005, was reported.  Division E, b mentions the amendment to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.  We would cite this as:

H.R. Rep. No. 108-792, Div. E, b (2004) (Conf. Rep.).

Note here that online resources often will cite this as H. Rpt. 108-792.  The abbreviation is incorrect for a Bluebook citation.  Other information is also needed.

Committee Prints

Generally, follow Rule 13.4(c).

For example, the House Committee on the Budget had its staff prepare an Appropriations Update, Vol. 4, No. 9: Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill for FY2005--H.R. 4818.  This document was written by Tiffany R. Blair.  We would cite this as:

Staff of H. Comm. on the Budget, 108th Cong., Appropriations Update, Vol. 4, No. 9: Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill for FY2005-H.R. 4818 (Comm. Print 2004 by Tiffany R. Blair).

Bluebook Citation for Public Laws, Statutes at Large

Public laws.

Public Laws are statutes.  Generally, follow Rule 12.4 of the 20th ed. of The Bluebook. Abbreviated:  Pub. L. No.

Statutes at Large

The Statutes at Large are the Session Laws of the U.S. Congress.  Session laws are uncodified laws that gather the Public Laws of a session of Congress together.  Statutes at Large is arranged chronologically. Generally, follow Rule 12.4 of the 19th ed. of The Bluebook.  Abbreviated:  Stat.

When a specific act was passed as a subdivision (such as one title or one section) of a broader statute, the session law citation of the specific act should list the subdivision of broad statute in which the specific act is found, but should treat the first page of that subdivision as the page on which the act begins. A pincite to a section of the specific act should both include the subdivision reference to the specific act as a whole and the exact section number in question. Both of the following examples are correct :  See Violence Against Women Act, Pub. L. No. 103-322, tit. IV, 108 Stat. 1902 (1994) (codified as amended in scattered sections of 8, 16, 18, 28, and 42 U.S.C.). See Violence Against Women Act, Pub. L. No. 103-322, tit. IV, § 40302, 108 Stat. 1902, 1941–42 (1994) (codified at 42 U.S.C. § 13981 (2000)), invalidated by United States v. Morrison, 529 U.S. 598 (2000).

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Congressional Information

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Citing Sources

Citation manuals, citation managers, citation guides.

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The primary reasons for citing sources in a research paper are to give credit to the authors whose work you have drawn upon and to allow readers to track down your sources , should they wish to do so.

There are many style guides for formatting citations and creating bibliographies.  Turabian (a simplified version of Chicago) is frequently used, but you may be called upon to use others.

See the box at the right for tools to help you format citations and bibliographies.

  • Bluebook: a Uniform System of Citation by Harvard Law Review Association Call Number: KF246 .U5 ISBN: 1062-9971 The authoritative guide for citing legal materials.
  • RefWorks This link opens in a new window RefWorks is an online research management, writing, and collaboration tool designed to help researchers gather, manage, store, and share information and generate citations and bibliographies.
  • Zotero Zotero is a free tool designed to help you gather, manage and share information about books, articles, web pages and other digital objects that you are using in your research, and to generate citations and bibliographies. Zotero is a Mozilla browser plugin. You can choose to gather your data on your hard drive (if you are working mainly from one computer), or on a flash drive or a network (if you frequently access your data at multiple workstations).
  • Mendeley Mendeley is a free reference manager and academic social network that can help you organize your research, collaborate with others online, and discover the latest research. You can automatically generate bibliographies, collaborate with other researchers online, import papers from other research software, find relevant papers based on what you’re reading, and access your papers from anywhere online.

Many libraries and other institutions have compiled guides of best practices for citing government information in various styles. Although the "official" manuals of style remain the authoritative source, you might find the guides below have helpful examples:

  • Purdue's OWL Purdue's OWL (Online Writing Lab) provides guides to MLA, APA, and Chicago styles, as well as advice on research, writing and citation.
  • How to Cite US Government Documents in MLA, APA Citation Style This guide from Cornell University Library covers a variety of government documents for both MLA and APA styles.
  • APA Style - Government Report PDF from Trinity College on citing government reports in APA format.
  • Citing Government Information Sources Using MLA Style This style sheet from the University of Nevado Reno Library details how to cite government information using the Modern Language Association.
  • Uncle Sam: Brief Guide to Citing Government Publications Citation examples for laws, agency reports, and other types of government publications. In Chicago/Turabian format. From the University of Memphis.
  • Chicago Quick Guide to Government Documents A 9-page PDF on citing government publications according to the Chicago Manual of Style (15th). From Bowdoin College.
  • Citing Records in the National Archives of the United States In response to frequent requests from researchers, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) offers the following guidelines for citing unpublished records it holds. The guidelines cover citations to textual records, microform records, nontextual archives (i.e., photographic records, posters, motion pictures, tape recordings, cartographic records, and architectural drawings), electronic records, and online references.
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  • Last Updated: Nov 21, 2024 1:15 PM
  • URL: https://guides.library.georgetown.edu/Congress

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  1. Tarlton Law Library: Bluebook Legal Citation: Legislative Materials

    Bluebook Rule (21st): 13.4. Citations to reports should include the name of the house, the number of the Congress with the number of the report, the part or page number, and the year of publication. Legislative reports, like reports from the Congressional Research Service, are cited as reports with institutional authors according to rule 15.1(c).

  2. How do I cite a Congressional Research Service report?

    1 Legal (Bluebook) Citation; 3 Legal Cases; 1 Legal Dictionary; 1 Legal Memo IRAC; 1 Legal Memorandum; 5 Legal Research; 5 Librarian; 1 Library; 3 library hours; 1 literature review; 2 logging into library; ... A Congressional Research Service report with an individual author: Woolf, Amy F. (2021, December 14).

  3. Citation Guide

    Citation Guide Citation Tool. Congress.gov offers a citation tool that provides support for several citation formats. The supported citation formats include the Bluebook, the American Psychological Association (APA), the Modern Language Association (MLA), and the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS).. The citation tool can generate a specific citation for bills and resolutions in any of these formats.

  4. Bluebook Guide: Legislative Materials

    The Bluebook provides noteworthy specifics for citation of federal and state reports, documents, and committee prints. Federal reports and documents may be numbered or unnumbered, and The Bluebook addresses both instances. See R13.4(a) & (b), pp. 138-39. When citing a numbered federal report, include the name of the house, the number of the Congress connected by a hyphen to the number of the ...

  5. Citing Government Publications

    Congressional Research Service. Natural Gas: A Historical Perspective (92-49 ENR), Prepared by Lawrence C. Kumins. Washington: Library of Congress, Jan. 6, 1992. Available from Proquest Congressional; Accessed July 22, 2013. ... For citing local, state, and federal court decisions, consult the Blue Book: A Uniform System of Citation. The ...

  6. PDF USCCR Citation Reference Guide

    USCCR Citation Reference Guide . This citation reference guide begins with a general list of do's and don'ts for citing sources. The guide also includes selected examples for citations including USCCR-specific format (for citing testimony and written statements), Chicago-style (for non-legal sources), and bluebook citations (for legal sources).

  7. PDF Common Abbreviations and Legal Citation Examples for Selected ...

    Research Special Interest Section, Law Librarians' Society of Washington, D.C., Inc. Last update - September 2017 . Citations for law reviews generally follow the White Pages of The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation which often employs LARGE AND SMALL caps to designate many ... Cong. Research Service reports, Library of Cong. (#s with R ...

  8. Congressional Record

    The Publication Manual of the APA does not specifically address citing the Congressional Record. For materials not covered in the Publication Manual, the APA refers users to The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation.The recommendations below are based on the 21st edition of The Bluebook:. The Congressional Record is issued in two editions -- the Daily Edition and the Permanent Edition.

  9. LibGuides: Federal Legislative History: Bluebook Citations

    Hearings. Generally, follow Rule 13.3 in the 20th ed. of The Bluebook, and look for ways to use abbreviations found in the Tables.. For example, say we want to cite to testimony from a hearing on Exotic Bird Species and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act given by David H. Pardoe, Board Member of the National Audubon Society about the need to exclude mute swans from the MBTA.

  10. Guides: Congressional Information: Citing Gov Info

    Congressional Research Service; Congressional Budget Office; Government Accountability Office ... The primary reasons for citing sources in a research paper are to give credit to the authors whose work you have drawn upon and to allow readers to track down ... Bluebook: a Uniform System of Citation by Harvard Law Review Association. Call Number ...