How to Cite a Report in APA Format

Citing a report in APA format requires the author or organization, year, report title, report number (if available), publisher, and URL. Reports are common sources in government, corporate, and research contexts.

Basic Report Citation Format

The standard APA 7th edition format for a report citation is:

Reference list entry:

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of report (Report No. xxx). Publisher. https://www.example.com/report

Parenthetical in-text citation: (Author, Year)

Narrative in-text citation: Author (Year)

In-Text Citation Examples

When you reference a report within your paper, you have two options:

• Parenthetical: Funding for education increased by 12% that year (National Center for Education Statistics, 2023).
• Narrative: The National Center for Education Statistics (2023) reported a 12% increase in education funding.

Common Variations

Government Report

Use the government agency as the author. If the agency is also the publisher, do not repeat the publisher name.

U.S. Department of Labor. (2024). Employment projections: 2024-2034 (Report No. 1098). https://www.bls.gov/emp

Technical Report

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of technical report (Technical Report No. xxx). Organization. https://www.example.com/report

Report without a Report Number

Simply omit the report number from the reference.

World Health Organization. (2023). Global status report on road safety 2023. https://www.who.int/publications/road-safety

Tips for Citing Reports

• Include the report number in parentheses after the title when one is assigned.
• Use the organization as the author when no individual author is listed.
• Do not repeat the publisher name if the author and publisher are the same organization.
• Include the URL where the report can be accessed.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite an annual report from a company? Use the company name as the author and include the year and title. Include the URL where the report can be found.

What if the report has both individual authors and an organizational publisher? List the individual authors as authors and the organization as the publisher.

How do I cite a report found in a database? Provide the DOI if available. Otherwise, provide the URL of the organization that published the report rather than the database URL.