References Page
Basic Format
- Spell out the full name of a group author in the reference list entry, followed by a period.
- While an abbreviation for the group author can be used in the text (e.g., NIMH for National Institute of Mental Health), do NOT include an abbreviation for a group author in a reference list entry.
- When numerous layers of government agencies are listed as the author of a work, use the most specific agency as the author in the reference. The names of parent agencies appear after the title as the publisher.
Examples
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (2022, March 24). What is heart failure? U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, National Institutes of Health. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/heart-failure
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (2019, December 18). NASA’s Webb telescope to search for young brown dwarfs and rogue planets. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2019/nasa-s-webb-telescope-to-search-for-young-brown-dwarfs-and-rogue-planets
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (2016, December). Cardiac rehabilitation. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, National Institutes of Health. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/heart-treatments-procedures#Cardiac-rehabilitation
In-Text/Parenthetical Citation
You are not required to abbreviate the name of a group author, but you can if
- the abbreviation is well-known,
- or if it will help avoid cumbersome repetition,
- or if it will appear at least three times in the paper.
First in-text citation:
If the group name first appears in the signal phrase in the sentence, include the abbreviation before the year in parentheses, separated with a comma.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH, 2017) provided information on men and depression.
If the group name first appears in a parenthetical citation, include the abbreviation in square brackets, followed by a comma and the year.
Men are less likely to seek treatment for depression (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 2017).
Subsequent in-text citations:
The NIMH (2017) also cautions that men may not recognize increased irritability and feelings of aggression as symptoms of depression.
In addition, men may not recognize increased irritability and feelings of aggression as symptoms of depression (NIMH, 2017).
