How to Cite the CDC
Reference styles such as American Psychological Association and Modern Language Association include special rules for referencing publications by government agencies such as the CDC. How you cite a CDC report will differ based on whether it is a Web or print document.
American Psychological Association Style
When citing a CDC report in APA style, include the full name of the organization as author. The report number is included after the title of the report:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012, March). NCHS data brief: 75 years of mortality in the United States, 1935–2010 (No. 88). Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.
If taken from the CDC's website, use the URL in place of the publisher location information:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015, February). NCHS data brief: Prescription opioid analgesic use among adults: United States, 1999–2012 (No. 189). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db189.htm
Modern Language Association Style
In MLA style, the works cited list citation will include the country and organizations that the CDC is a part of. The type of publication -- print or Web -- is also noted:
United States. Dept. of Health and Human Services. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. NCHS data brief: 75 years of mortality in the United States, 1935–2010. Hyattsville: National Center for Health Statistics, March 2012. Print.
A Web citation in MLA does not include a URL, but does require you to note the last date you accessed the site:
United States. Dept. of Health and Human Services. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. NCHS data brief: Prescription opioid analgesic use among adults: United States, 1999–2012. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, February 2015. Web. 14 April 2015.
In-Text Citations
When referencing works in text, include a parenthetical citation noting your source. In APA style, your parenthetical citation includes the name of the organization and the year of publication: (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). If a source is paginated, include the page for direct quotes. If you cite the same organization multiple times, use an acronym for each citation past the first: (CDC, 2012, p. 8).
MLA style in-text citations do not include date information, only the name of the author and the page number, if applicable: (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 8).
Need help with a citation? Try our citation generator.
References
Writer Bio
Jon Zamboni began writing professionally in 2010. He has previously written for The Spiritual Herald, an urban health care and religious issues newspaper based in New York City, and online music magazine eBurban. Zamboni has a Bachelor of Arts in religious studies from Wesleyan University.
