How to Do Parenthetical Citations When There Is No Author's Name

When documenting sources used in any type of writing project, whether it be a research paper or an essay, proper citation is always necessary. Parenthetical citation requires citing a source within the text, usually by including an author's last name. However, when the author's name is not known or not applicable, you can use other options to properly indicate a source for parenthetical citation.

Instructions

  1. Use the Title of the Source

    • 1
      Substitute the author's name with the title of the source

      Both American Psychological Association style and Modern Language Association style recommend using the first one or two words of the source's title, if the source does not have an author. Thus, the citation would consist of a short title, placed inside parentheses.

    • 2
      Titles will either be italicized or placed in quotations

      Within the parenthetical citation, the punctuation of the abbreviated title will depend on which type of source it is. Titles of longer works like books and reports will be italicized. Titles of shorter works like articles and web pages are placed in quotations.

    • 3
      Include either the page number or date of publication in the citation

      Including an abbreviated title in the parenthetical citation ensures that a source is properly documented, even without an author's name. Any other notation included in the parenthetical citation will depend on your preferred style of formatting. APA recommends including the date of publication, while MLA recommends including a page number.

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