Reports, Research Papers and Theses
Law reform and royal commission reports, committee reports, working papers, conference papers and theses.
AGLC4 Chapter 7 covers sources that are not traditional books, journal articles or cases, including government and law reform reports, royal commission reports, committee reports, working papers, conference papers and theses.
The citation format depends on the type of document and who produced it.
Reports
Reports are usually cited by identifying:
- the organisation or body responsible for the report;
- the title of the report;
- the type and number of the document (if provided);
- the date; and
- a pinpoint reference (if required).
Body, Title (Document type and number, month year) pinpoint.
Report titles and document types
The report title is italicised. If the document identifies itself as a particular type of publication, include that description. Common examples include Report, Consultation Paper, Issues Paper, Discussion Paper and Final Report.
The document number is included where the report provides one.
Pinpoints for reports
Pinpoints usually refer to page numbers or paragraph numbers. If a report has both, either may be used depending on what best identifies the relevant material.
For multi-volume reports, include the volume number as part of the pinpoint.
Reports without a named author
Some reports, particularly royal commission reports, do not identify an individual or organisation as the author.
In those cases, no author is included and the citation begins with the title of the report.
Types of reports
AGLC4 has additional rules for particular types of reports.
Parliamentary materials
This includes parliamentary papers, committee reports, bills digests and alert digests. These follow the rules in AGLC4 rule 7.1.2.
Royal commission reports
Royal commission reports have their own citation format. Unlike many government reports, the jurisdiction is not included in the citation.
Law reform commission publications
Reports and publications from law reform commissions follow the rules in rule 7.1.4.
Australian Bureau of Statistics materials
Statistics and reports published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics have their own format under rule 7.1.5.
Research papers and working papers
Some research documents are not formally published as books or journal articles. These are cited by identifying the author or organisation, the title, and the type of document in round brackets.
The description in brackets tells the reader what kind of material they are looking at. Examples include:
- research papers;
- working papers;
- parliamentary research papers;
- research notes;
- policy briefs; and
- conference papers.
Conference papers and similar unpublished presentations are cited under rule 7.2.4. The citation should identify the paper and the context in which it was presented.
Theses
A thesis is cited differently from a published book. A thesis citation includes the author’s name, the thesis title, the degree, the institution and the year. The title appears in single quotation marks.
Author, ‘Title of Thesis’ (Degree Thesis, Institution, year) pinpoint.
Quick identification guide
| Source type | Key identifying information |
|---|---|
| Government or law reform report | Body + title + report type |
| Royal commission report | Title + report details |
| Working paper | Author + document type |
| Conference paper | Author + conference details |
| Thesis | Author + title + degree + institution |
Related Index entries
Parliamentary paper, committee report or bills digestParliamentary research paper, note or briefReport (government or organisation)Royal Commission reportLaw Reform Commission publicationAustralian Bureau of Statistics materialsResearch or working paperConference paperThesis or dissertationLast reviewed 4 August 2026