Government reports in Harvard referencing are typically authored by a department or agency rather than an individual person. The department name serves as the corporate author, the year appears in parentheses, and the report title is italicised. Many government publications include a command paper number, a series identifier, or a URL — include whichever details help your reader locate the document.
Government Report With a Corporate Author
Most government reports are published by a department, ministry, or agency — not by a named individual. The department name is the author.
Reference list:
Department for Education (2023) Opportunity for all: strong schools with great teachers for your child. London: HMSO. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/opportunity-for-all-strong-schools-with-great-teachers-for-your-child (Accessed: 14 March 2025).
In-text citations:
Parenthetical:(Department for Education, 2023)
Narrative:The Department for Education (2023) proposed a series of reforms to school accountability measures…
Abbreviating Long Department Names
Government department names can be lengthy. Introduce an abbreviation on first use, then use the short form in subsequent citations:
First citation:(Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs [Defra], 2024)
Subsequent citations:(Defra, 2024)
In the reference list, always use the full name — even if you've used the abbreviation in the text:
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (2024) Annual report on air quality indicators…
Government Report With a Named Individual Author
Occasionally, a government report is authored by a named individual — for example, an independent review commissioned by a department. In this case, the individual is the author:
Reference list:
Augar, P. (2019) Independent panel report to the review of post-18 education and funding. London: HMSO. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/post-18-review-of-education-and-funding-independent-panel-report (Accessed: 20 January 2025).
In-text citations:
Parenthetical:(Augar, 2019)
Narrative:Augar (2019) recommended significant changes to the student loan repayment system…
If both an individual author and a commissioning department are identified, list the individual as the author and mention the department in the text for context.
Report With a Command Paper or Publication Number
UK government reports presented to Parliament are assigned a command paper number (e.g., Cm 9876, Cmnd 1234). Include this after the title:
Reference list:
Home Office (2023) National strategy for policing. Cm 9512. London: HMSO. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-policing-strategy (Accessed: 5 April 2025).
In-text:
(Home Office, 2023)
The command paper number helps researchers locate the exact document in parliamentary archives.
White Paper or Policy Document
White papers set out government policy proposals. They follow the standard government report format:
Reference list:
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (2024) A pro-innovation approach to AI regulation. London: HMSO. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ai-regulation-a-pro-innovation-approach (Accessed: 8 February 2025).
In-text:
(Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, 2024)
Green Papers
Green papers (consultation documents) use the same format:
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (2024) Planning for the future: a consultation on planning reform. London: HMSO. Available at: URL (Accessed: Date).
Parliamentary and Congressional Documents
UK Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)
Hansard records are referenced by the house, the date, and the column number:
Reference list:
HC Deb (2024) 12 March, vol. 746, col. 234. Available at: https://hansard.parliament.uk (Accessed: 20 March 2025).
In-text:
(HC Deb, 2024, col. 234)
Use HC Deb for House of Commons and HL Deb for House of Lords.
US Congressional Documents
United States Congress (2023) Inflation Reduction Act: implementation report. Washington, DC: Government Publishing Office. Available at: https://www.congress.gov (Accessed: 15 January 2025).
(United States Congress, 2023)
Australian Government Reports
Department of Health and Aged Care (2024) National mental health and suicide prevention plan. Canberra: Australian Government. Available at: https://www.health.gov.au (Accessed: 22 February 2025).
(Department of Health and Aged Care, 2024)
Press Releases
Government press releases are referenced with [Press release] as the format identifier:
Reference list:
Department for Transport (2024) £2 billion investment in rail upgrades announced [Press release]. 18 June. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/2-billion-investment-in-rail-upgrades (Accessed: 25 June 2025).
In-text:
(Department for Transport, 2024)
Include the specific date (day and month) the press release was issued.
Data Sets and Statistics
Government data sets and statistical publications use the issuing body as the author and include [Data set] or [Statistical bulletin] in square brackets:
Reference list:
Office for National Statistics (2024) Labour market overview: UK [Statistical bulletin]. Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/overview (Accessed: 10 March 2025).
In-text:
(Office for National Statistics, 2024)
Data Set With a Specific Release Date
Office for National Statistics (2024) Annual population survey: employment by region [Data set]. 14 February. Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/annual-population-survey (Accessed: 22 February 2025).
UK vs. US vs. Australian Conventions
While the Harvard format stays the same, the publisher details differ by country:
| Country | Typical Publisher | Place of Publication |
|---|---|---|
| UK | HMSO (His Majesty's Stationery Office) or the department itself | London |
| US | Government Publishing Office (GPO) | Washington, DC |
| Australia | Australian Government or the department itself | Canberra |
Some Harvard guides have dropped the place of publication for online-only reports. If your institution's guide omits it, leave it out and include the URL instead.
Summary: Government Report Reference Formats at a Glance
| Source Type | Reference List Format |
|---|---|
| Government report (corporate author) | Department (Year) Title. Place: Publisher. Available at: URL (Accessed: Date). |
| Government report (individual author) | Author (Year) Title. Place: Publisher. Available at: URL (Accessed: Date). |
| Report with command paper no. | Department (Year) Title. Cm XXXX. Place: Publisher. Available at: URL (Accessed: Date). |
| White paper | Department (Year) Title. Place: Publisher. Available at: URL (Accessed: Date). |
| Hansard (UK) | HC/HL Deb (Year) Day Month, vol. X, col. X. Available at: URL (Accessed: Date). |
| Press release | Department (Year) Title [Press release]. Day Month. Available at: URL (Accessed: Date). |
| Data set | Organisation (Year) Title [Data set]. Available at: URL (Accessed: Date). |
Common Mistakes With Government Report Citations
| Mistake | Why It's Wrong | Correct Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Using "The Government" as the author | Too vague — which government? Which department? | Use the specific department or agency as the author |
| Abbreviating the department name in the reference list | The reference list should use the full name for clarity | Use the full name in the reference list; abbreviate only in in-text citations |
| Omitting the command paper number | The number helps researchers locate the exact document | Include Cm, Cmnd, or other series numbers when available |
| Not including an access date for online reports | Government web pages are frequently updated or moved | Always include (Accessed: Day Month Year) |
| Confusing the publishing body with the author | HMSO is the publisher, not the author | The department is the author; HMSO is the publisher |
What's Next?
Now that you know how to reference government reports, explore these related guides:
- How to Cite a Source With No Author in Harvard — handling sources with no identifiable author, including corporate authors
- How to Reference Legal Sources in Harvard Style — legislation, case law, and statutory instruments
- Harvard Reference List — the complete guide to formatting your reference list
