* For books, articles, and websites: Usually, the author's last name and year of publication are sufficient. For example: (Smith, 2023). If there are multiple authors, use all last names (Smith & Jones, 2023) or the first author's last name followed by "et al." (Smith et al., 2023) if there are more than two.
* For websites or online sources with no author: Use the website name and year if available. For example: ("Website Name," 2023). If no date is available, use "n.d." (for "no date"). For example: ("Website Name," n.d.).
* For sources with corporate authors: Use the name of the organization. For example: (World Health Organization, 2022).
* If the year is also unavailable: Providing a shortened title in quotation marks may be necessary. However, this is generally avoided as it makes finding the source in the bibliography more difficult, so always strive to find the year of publication. Example: ("Report Title," n.d.).
Important Considerations:
* Consistency: Maintain a consistent citation style throughout your work (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.). The examples above are generally consistent with common styles, but the precise formatting may vary. Consult a style guide for specific details.
* Ambiguity: If multiple sources from the same author and year are cited, add a distinguishing element, such as a short title in parentheses. For example: (Smith, 2023a) and (Smith, 2023b).
* Clarity: Always prioritize clarity. If a citation without a page number is unclear, it might be better to add more information, even if it means departing slightly from the standard style guide's most concise form. The goal is to allow the reader to quickly find the information in your bibliography.
In short, while page numbers are ideal for precision, a parenthetical citation without them should still provide enough information to easily locate the source in your bibliography, prioritizing the author's last name and year. Remember to always check the specific requirements of the citation style you are using.