How to Cite Technical Reports

Learn how to properly cite technical reports and research documents in APA format.

Basic Format

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

Author(s). (Year). Title of report (Report No. xxx). URL

Examples

Organization as Author

National Institute of Mental Health. (2018). Research priorities for strategic objective 2 (NIMH Publication No. 18-6368). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Individual Authors with Organization

Smith, J. D., & Johnson, K. L. (2021). Analysis of renewable energy implementation (Technical Report No. NREL/TP-6A20-71714). National Renewable Energy Laboratory. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy21osti/71714.pdf

Report from University

Wilson, M. R., & Thompson, S. K. (2020). Climate change impact on urban infrastructure (Research Report No. CEE-2020-01). Stanford University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Key Elements

Author Information

  • List individual authors if available
  • Use organization name if no individual authors
  • Include both authors and organization when applicable
  • Follow standard APA author formatting rules

Report Numbers

  • Include report number in parentheses after title
  • Use exact format as shown on report
  • Include series or contract numbers if relevant
  • Add grant numbers if applicable

Publisher Information

  • Include full organization name
  • Add department or division if specified
  • Use parent organization for government reports
  • Include location for older reports if relevant

Special Cases

Additional Guidelines

  • For draft reports, indicate "Draft" in square brackets after title
  • Include "Advance online publication" if applicable
  • Note "In press" for forthcoming reports
  • Specify "Internal report" for unpublished internal documents

In-Text Citations

First Citation

Use the full organization name:

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH, 2018)...

Subsequent Citations

Use the abbreviation:

The research findings (NIMH, 2018) indicated...

Online Access

Digital Reports

  • Include DOI when available
  • Use permanent URLs or repository links
  • Add database name for restricted access reports
  • Include retrieval date for dynamic content

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Don't confuse report numbers with contract numbers
  • Don't omit organizational hierarchy in author position
  • Don't use informal report titles
  • Don't forget to include report type and number
  • Don't cite superseded versions without noting updates