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APA Style 6th Edition: Citing Your Sources

Provide guidance on the APA format style based on the 6th edition of the APA Publication Manual.

Standard Format

Census Data

U.S. Census Bureau (year data was published). Name of data or report. Retrieved from URL

Federal Statutes

Name of the Statute, Title number Source § Section number(s) (Year).

Congressional Bills

Title, Bill or Resolution Number, Number of Congress Cong., Number of Session Sess. (Year).

Government report

Government Author/Agency. (year). Title of report: Subtitle of report if applicable (Report No. 123). Retrieved from URL

IRS/Tax Forms

Government agency. (Year of publication). Title of form. Retrieved from source URL

Court Cases
United States Supreme Court Decisions

Name v. Name. Vol. number U.S. Page number. (Year).

CA Court Cases

Name v. Name, volume number Reporter Abbreviation page number (Court abbreviation year).

CA Code (usually preferred format, using citation to California Codes)

Name of law (if available), State Abbreviation Code Abbreviation § section number(s) (Year if available).

CA Bill/Chapter (use if new law updates many code sections instead of one)

Name of law, State Abbreviation Branch (Assemb. or S.) Bill number, Chapter number (Cal. Stat. Year).

Various Examples

 

Census Data

U.S. Census Bureau (2011). Selected housing characteristics, 2007-2011 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Retrieved from https://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_11_5YR_DP04

Federal Statue

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Pub. L. No. 101-336, § 2, 104 Stat. 328 (1991).

Congressional Bill

Equitable Health Care for Severe Mental Illnesses Act of 1993, S. 671, 103d Cong., 1st Sess. (1993).

Government Report (Retrieved online)

Paschall, P. (2013). Movement analysis: The impact of the 2012 presidential election on the LGBT policy agenda. Washington, DC: The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Retrieved from https://www.thetaskforce.org/downloads/reports/reports/move_analyisis_2012_elec_obama.pdf.

Government Report (print)

National Institute of Mental Health. (1990). Clinical training in serious mental illness (DHHS Publication No. ADM 90-1679). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

IRS/Tax Forms

Internal Revenue Service. (2012). Form 1040: U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. Retrieved from https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040.pdf.

Court Cases

United States Supreme Court Decisions

United States v. Lane, 474 U.S. 438 (1986).

CA Court Case

People v. Stockton Pregnancy Control Medical Clinic, 203 Cal. App. 3d 225 (Cal. App.3d 1988).

CA Code

Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act, Cal. Penal Code § 11164 et seq.

State Statute Nursing Practice Act, Cal Bus & Prof Code § 2700 (2019)

CA Bill/Chapter

California Fostering Connections to Success Act, Cal. Assemb. B. 12 (2010-2011),Chapter 559 (Cal. Stat. 2010)