How to Cite Government Documents from

SIRS Government Reporter Database

The following suggestions for citing government documents are made following MLA style guidelines. There are many sources of government information; in many cases they are cited differently. If you have any questions about your source, ask a librarian for assistance.

The following is the information (if available) that you have to include in your works cited page.

• Name of government
• Name of department
• Name of agency
• Title of article (in quotation marks)
• Name of author
• Title of complete work (italicized)
• Place, publisher, date.
• Name of Database, italicized
• Medium
• Date of Access

Examples: 

Barnes v. Glen Theatre 501 U.S. 560 90-26. Rpt. in SIRS Government Reporter. Web. 1 May 2009. 

Madison, James. James Madison's First Inaugural Address. Rpt. in SIRS Government Reporter. Web. 1 May 2009. 

U. S. Commerce Dept. Census Bureau. Report to Congress: The Plan for Census 2000. (Aug. 1997): 9-15. 

		  SIRS Government Reporter. Web. 10 April 2009.

U. S. Justice Dept. Federal Bureau of Investigation. "Truancy: Not Just Kids Stuff Anymore." By Tom Gavin. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin (March 1997):

	      8-14. SIRS Government Reporter. Web. 12. April 2009.

U.S. Justice Dept.  Justice Assistance Bureau.  "Historic Trends and Issues in Structured Sentencing." National Assessment of Structured Sentencing: Monograph.

		 (Feb. 1996): 5-18. SIRS Government Reporter. Web. 1 April 2009.

U.S. State Dept. Public Affairs Bureau. "Afghanistan." Background Notes (July 1994): 1-7. SIRS Government
 
           Reporter. Web. 8 May 2009. 

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