Map agency reports, bills and filings to correct references with agency, code and session templates. Free, no sign-up.
What this tool does
Government documents have their own numbering: report numbers, bill numbers, session numbers and filing codes that look meaningless until you know the template. A US House bill, a UK Command Paper and an EU directive each cite differently, and mixing them up sends readers to the wrong document. This tool maps the details you enter onto the right agency template, so a government source reads like a government source instead of a broken book citation.
Why it matters
Good citations do quiet work. They let a reader find every source you used, they show that your argument rests on real evidence rather than memory, and they protect you: a clean reference list is much harder to challenge than a vague one. Most marks lost on referencing are not lost on difficult sources. They are lost on small, repeated slips — a missing year, a swapped initial, a title in the wrong case — that a quick tool pass catches before submission.
How to use it
- Pick the document type: report, bill or directive.
- Enter agency, title, code or number, and year.
- Copy the mapped reference.
Worked example
US Government Accountability Office report GAO-24-100, 2024, ‘Water Infrastructure’: the tool returns ‘U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2024). Water Infrastructure (GAO-24-100).’ — agency first, code in brackets, exactly how readers expect to find it.
Tips for good results
Always keep the original code (GAO-24-100, Cm. 1234, 2024/12) in the citation. Titles change; codes do not.
Work from the source itself, not from another paper’s copy of it. And keep one style for the whole list: a single mixed entry undermines an otherwise perfect bibliography.
Honest limits
Templates cover common US, UK and EU forms. Agency citation practice changes and some bodies require their own house style. This tool maps structure; for official filings, check the issuing body’s current guidance.
Common mistakes to avoid
Common mistakes to avoid: copying a reference from another paper without checking it against the original, trusting a PDF filename for the title or year, and mixing two styles in one list. Each of these looks harmless alone and careless together. Run the tool, read its output once, and compare it with the source itself before you paste it into your document.
Before you submit
Run through this short check before you submit: is every author name spelled as it appears on the source, is every year present and correct, and does every in-text citation have a matching entry in your reference list? Read the list once from top to bottom rather than skimming it. Most referencing errors are found in that single slow read, and fixing them there is far cheaper than fixing them after a reviewer finds them. If one entry still looks odd after that read, check it against the original source before you change anything else.
Frequently asked questions
Is this tool really free?
Yes. It runs in your browser on this page, with no account and no payment. Nothing you paste leaves your computer.
Do I still need to check the result?
Yes, once. Tools apply rules; they cannot verify facts about your source. Compare the output with the source itself before submitting.
Can I use the output in my paper?
Yes. The output is a formatted reference or analysis for your own work. Keep the source’s facts accurate and the formatting consistent across your list.
What if the tool’s output differs from my style guide?
Trust the style guide. Tools encode the common rules of a style; your university or journal’s own sheet wins every disagreement. Use the tool to do the routine work, then apply the local rule where it differs.
Also available in Spanish: Mapeo de Referencias de Documentos Gubernamentales – Plantillas de Códigos de Archivo de Agencias Gratis.