For APA, how do I figure out who the author is for government agency authored sources when there are many levels of the agency listed??

Answer

According to the 7th edition of the APA Manual, “use the most specific agency as the author in the reference…” (APA, 2020, p.288)

For example, if the following document is being cited:

The National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders should be used in the author segment of the reference. 

If there is a situation where there are multiple layers and the most specific agency name is confusing to the reader, include the parent agency just above that agency.

Example:

White House. Office of the Press Secretary. (1998). …

  • Last Updated Jun 30, 2020
  • Views 2735
  • Answered By Ashley Librarian

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Comments (1)

  1. I appreciate this information. I tried the APA 7th guide, the APA website, and Owl Purdue and could not figure out the answer. I found the picture posted with the explanation to be most helpful. Thank you!!!
    by Michelle Laumb-Michels on Nov 10, 2023

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