Welcome to this comprehensive guide on how to properly cite sources with no author in the American Psychological Association (APA) format. Sometimes we come across valuable information but struggle to locate a specific author. Don’t worry – APA has guidelines in place for handling such situations. In this guide, you will learn how to elegantly navigate these citation challenges, whether you’re writing formally or informally. Let’s get started!
Formal Ways to Indicate No Author in APA
When citing sources in scholarly papers, dissertations, or any formal academic writing, it’s crucial to follow the APA guidelines accurately. Here’s how you can cite sources with no author.
1. Use the Title as the Author
If the article, webpage, or document you’re referencing has a title, you can use it as the author’s name in your citation. When choosing this option, approach it as follows:
In-Text Citation: Use the first few words of the title in double quotation marks (“”) or use the entire title if it is short, followed by the publication year. For example, (“Title of the Article,” YYYY).
Reference List: Begin the reference entry with the title in sentence case. Follow it with the publication year, the title of the source in italics or sentence case (capitalizing only the first word and proper nouns), and additional publication information if applicable.
2. Use a Generic Description
If the source you’re citing doesn’t have a title or it’s too lengthy, you can make use of a generic description as the author. This approach is especially useful when referencing reports, government documents, or studies where individual authors might not be specified. Consider the following format:
In-Text Citation: Use the generic description in double quotation marks (“”) or parentheses (). For example, (“Anonymous”, YYYY) or (Anonymous, YYYY).
Reference List: Begin the reference entry with the generic description in sentence case. Follow it with the publication year, the title of the source in italics or sentence case, and additional publication information if provided.
3. Use the Organization as the Author
In cases where the author is an organization, corporation, or government agency, you can use the organization’s name in place of an individual author. Follow these steps in your citations:
In-Text Citation: Use the organization’s name as the author in your citation. For example, (Organization Name, YYYY) or “Quote from Organization Name” (YYYY).
Reference List: Begin the reference entry with the organization’s name in sentence case. Follow it with the publication year, the title of the source in italics or sentence case, and any additional publication details available.
Informal Ways to Indicate No Author in APA
Informal writing includes personal blogs, forum posts, social media content, or any casual written communication. While APA guidelines are generally applied to formal writing, you can still provide a basic citation structure for sources with no author in your informal writing:
- Use the title: Include the title of the article, webpage, or document in your text without any additional formatting. For example, “According to the article Title of the Article (YYYY),…”
- Use a generic description: Similar to the formal approach, you can use a general description in quotation marks or parentheses. For instance, “As stated in the report (‘Anonymous’, YYYY),…” or “(Anonymous, YYYY) states that…”.
- Use organization name: If the source is from a recognizable organization, corporation, or government agency, refer to them by their name. For example, “According to Organization Name (YYYY),…” or “Organization Name (YYYY) reports that…”.
Avoiding Gendered Language
Inclusive language is important in academic writing. When referring to authors, particularly when using the generic description approach, it’s essential to be mindful of gender neutrality. Instead of defaulting to “anonymous,” consider using terms like “unattributed”, “unknown”, or “undated” to avoid assumptions about the author’s identity. Similarly, when using a generic description, try to use non-gendered nouns like “source” or “document” to maintain neutrality.
Regional Variations
APA guidelines are widely recognized globally, but regional variations may exist. It is advisable to consult your institution’s style guide or ask your professor if any specific variations are required. However, in most cases, the formal methods described earlier should suffice.
Summary
Citing sources with no author can initially seem daunting, but with the guidelines outlined in this comprehensive guide, you’ll be equipped to handle these situations efficiently. Remember to follow the formal citation approaches when writing scholarly papers and use the informal methods for casual or personal writing. While adhering to APA guidelines, you can always adapt the language to be inclusive, avoiding gendered terms whenever possible. Finally, check for any regional variations to ensure accuracy in your citations. Happy writing!
