How do you cite an article with no author

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When a work has no identified author, cite in text the first few words of the reference list entry (usually the title) and the year. Use double quotation marks around the title of an article, a chapter or a web page, and italicise the title of a journal, a book, a brochure, or a report.

When a work's author is designated as "Anonymous" cite in text the word Anonymous followed by a comma and the date.

In text citations

Example:

"A mammoth guilt trip" (2014) describes...
OR
...("A mammoth guilt trip", 2014).

Reference list

Article title. (Year). Journal title in italics, Volume number in italics(issue or part number if needed), page numbers.

Example:

A mammoth guilt trip: Criminalising the American company. (2014). The Economist, 21-24.

Answered By: Jennifer HarrisLast Updated: Aug 19, 2022     Views: 88474

Identifying Authorship

Per the APA, to determine authorship, ask "who is responsible for this content?" (Lee, 2010). Sometimes it isn't a person or persons who wrote or edited the material but rather an entity (government, associations, agencies, companies, etc). Therefore, the entity will be the author. For example, if you are referencing guidelines from the CDC regarding wearing masks, your author would be the Centers for Disease Control:

Example

Citing Sources with No Author

When there is no author identified, use the first few words from the title of the source used, unless the author of the work is specifically identified as “Anonymous.” For more information, please review the “Missing Reference Information This link opens in a new window” page of the APA Style Blog.

Example

The report condemned the practice ("Will returning to its founder's vision," 2011).

The government was at fault for the results (Anonymous, 2016).

References

Will returning to its founder's vision bring prosperity to the Detroit automotive giant, asks Ray Hutto. (2011, January 9). Sunday Times, 9.

Anonymous. (2016, August 14). Part IV: ISIS rising 2014-2015. New York Times Magazine, 43-50.

Examples of Citing Articles, Book Chapters, Web Pages, and Special Issue of Journal with No Author

Example

General Rules

• Use double quotes around the title or the first few words in the title.
• The comma goes inside the double-quotes.
• You can use the first few words of the title if the entire title is too long. 
• The important words in the article title are capitalized in the text of the paper, but only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized in the reference citation at the end of the paper.

Examples of Citing Periodicals, Books, Reports, or Brochure Titles with No Author

Example

General Rules

• Italicize the title
• If the entire title is too long, use the first few words in the title.
• The important words in the title of the report are capitalized in the text of the paper, but only the first word is capitalized in the reference citation at the end of the paper.

More Information

• APA Guide (Shapiro Library)
• APA Research Paper Basics Video Tutorials This link opens in a new window (Atomic Learning - log in using your SNHU email username and password)
• APA Style Help This link opens in a new window (APA)

Further Help

This information is intended to be a guideline, not expert advice. Please be sure to speak to your professor about the appropriate way to cite sources in your class assignments and projects.

Campus Students

To access Academic Support, visit your Brightspace course and select “Tutoring and Mentoring” from the Academic Support pulldown menu.

Online Students

To access help with citations and more, visit the Academic Support via modules in Brightspace:

• Academic Support Overview: Getting Help with your Schoolwork This link opens in a new window

Content authored by: GS

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