Skip to Main Content

APA Referencing - Education & CCSC students: Curriculum

This guide provides information on how to reference using the APA 7th edition publication style

Curriculum documents

If you wish to reference a curriculum document as a publication independently of the website on which you accessed it, the APA style manual provides a broad category called gray literature. Gray literature does not specifically cover curriculum documents but is a suitable category. Examples include government and agency reports, codes of ethics, press releases, and so on. See Gray Literature.

The explanation and examples below relate to referencing curriculum documents on the Australian Curriculum website. 

Curriculum documents

APA 7th Edition

Curriculum documents

Curriculum (APA7)

Referencing curriculum documents

Curriculum documents on a website such as the Australian Curriculum site are challenging to reference because each document is broken up over multiple web pages and expanding web-page sections. In this case, you can choose to reference the location on the web page by heading and section. 

The Australian Curriculum website also has a "Download content" feature that facilitates the PDF download of a curriculum document. The PDF document compiles the text elements of the curriculum but will not have all the interactive features available on the website. Reference the downloaded PDF document as gray literature.   

In-text citation

This is a quotation from the Rationale of Understanding how English works, Year 9 English curriculum.

The study of English plays a key role in the development of reading and literacy skills which help young people develop the knowledge and skills needed for education, training and the workplace. It helps them become ethical, thoughtful, informed and active members of society. In this light, it is clear that the Australian Curriculum: English plays an important part in developing the understanding, attitudes and capabilities of those who will take responsibility for Australia’s future. (Australian Curriculum, Year 9 English, Rationale, para. 1)

Reference List

Australian Curriculum. (n.d.).  Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Retrieved 9 September 2020 from https://australiancurriculum.edu.au/
 
© 2016 Morling College. Morling College is an affiliated institution with the Australian College of Theology (CRICOS Provider 02650E). Morling College Counselling (CRICOS Provider 03265F).