APA 7th Edition - Reports & PDFs

How to Cite PDFs & Reports in APA

Learn how to cite government reports, white papers, technical documents, and PDF files in APA 7th edition format with our guide and examples.

APA Report Citation Format

Basic Report Format:

Author/Organization. (Year). Title of report (Report No. xxx). Publisher. URL

When Author = Publisher:

Organization. (Year). Title of report. URL

Omit the publisher to avoid repetition

APA Report Citation Examples

Government Report

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Annual report on infectious diseases (CDC Publication No. 2024-01). https://www.cdc.gov/reports/annual2024

In-text: (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024)

Organizational Report (Same Author & Publisher)

World Health Organization. (2023). Global health statistics 2023. https://www.who.int/data/statistics

In-text: (World Health Organization, 2023)

Technical Report with Report Number

National Institute of Standards and Technology. (2024). Cybersecurity framework (NIST Special Publication 800-53). https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-53

In-text: (National Institute of Standards and Technology, 2024)

White Paper

McKinsey & Company. (2024). The future of work: Trends and implications. https://www.mckinsey.com/future-of-work

In-text: (McKinsey & Company, 2024)

Research Report with Individual Authors

Smith, J. D., & Johnson, M. R. (2024). Climate change impact assessment (Research Report No. 2024-15). Environmental Research Institute. https://www.eri.org/reports/2024-15

In-text: (Smith & Johnson, 2024)

Types of Reports in APA

Government Reports

Use agency as author. Include publication numbers if available:

(NIH Publication No. 24-001)

Technical Reports

Include report number and issuing organization:

(Technical Report No. TR-2024-01)

White Papers

Cite like reports. Use organization as author:

Company Name. (Year). Title. URL

Annual Reports

Include the year(s) covered in the title:

Annual report 2023-2024

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite a PDF in APA format?

The format depends on what the PDF contains. Cite it as a report, article, or book chapter based on its content. Do not cite it as "PDF" - cite the document type. Include the URL where you found it.

How do I cite a government report in APA?

Use the agency as author, followed by year, title in italics, report number (if any), and URL. Example: National Institutes of Health. (2024). Annual report on research (NIH Publication No. 24-001). https://nih.gov/report

How do I cite a report with an institutional author?

Use the organization name as the author. If the publisher is the same as the author, omit the publisher. Example: World Bank. (2024). Global economic prospects. https://worldbank.org/report

Should I include the report number in the citation?

Yes, include report numbers when available. Place them in parentheses after the title, not italicized. Example: Title of report (Report No. 123). This helps readers locate the specific document.

How do I cite an unpublished or internal report?

Use [Unpublished report] after the title. Include the institution name. Example: Smith, J. (2024). Market analysis [Unpublished report]. Department of Marketing, University Name.

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