How-to · Step-by-step
How to cite a source with no author
Citing a source with no author means moving the title to the author position, shortening it for the in-text citation, and alphabetising the entry by title.
The step most authors miss
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Step by step
How to do it
1.Confirm there is genuinely no author
Check the whole source — page, masthead, "about" section — for a named individual or an organisation. Many seemingly authorless web pages have a corporate author.
2.Consider a corporate author
If an organisation is responsible for the content, use it as the author. Only truly anonymous works move the title into the author position.
3.Move the title to the author position
For a genuinely authorless source, the title leads the reference entry, taking the place where the author’s name would go.
4.Shorten the title for in-text use
In the in-text citation, use a short form of the title — the first few words — keeping the formatting (italics or quotation marks) that the full title uses.
5.Alphabetise by the title
Place the entry in the reference list by the first significant word of the title, ignoring an initial "A", "An" or "The".
6.Assemble the entry
Arrange the remaining elements in your style’s order, with the title where the author would normally sit.
APA 7th edition
Move the title to the author position and keep its formatting. Reference: Title of work: Subtitle. (Year). Publisher. — Worked example: The craft of anonymous writing. (2021). Example Press. In-text, use a shortened title in italics for a stand-alone work or in quotation marks for a part of a work — (The Craft of Anonymous Writing, 2021) or ("Short Page Title", 2021). Use a group author (an organisation) before treating a work as authorless. Avoid "Anonymous" unless the work itself is credited that way.
MLA 9th edition
Begin the Works Cited entry with the title, then continue with the remaining core elements. — Worked example: "Citation in the Age of AI." Example Org, 14 Mar. 2021, www.example.org/article. In-text, use a shortened title: a stand-alone work in italics, a shorter work in quotation marks — ("Citation in the Age"). Alphabetise by the first significant word of the title, ignoring "A", "An" or "The".
Chicago 17th edition (notes–bibliography)
Begin the entry with the title when no author is known. Bibliography: "Citation in the Age of AI." Example Org. March 14, 2021. https://www.example.org/article. — First footnote: 1. "Citation in the Age of AI," Example Org, March 14, 2021, https://www.example.org/article. Alphabetise by the title’s first significant word; Chicago advises against using "Anonymous" unless that is genuinely how the work is signed.
Common questions
FAQ
Should I write "Anonymous" instead?+
Generally no. APA, MLA and Chicago all tell you to move the title to the author position rather than invent an author. Use "Anonymous" only when the source itself is explicitly credited that way — then APA alphabetises it under "Anonymous"; otherwise the title leads.
How do I shorten the title for the in-text citation?+
Use the first few words of the title, enough to point to the right reference-list entry, and keep its formatting — italics for a stand-alone work, quotation marks for part of a work. For example, the full "The Craft of Anonymous Writing" becomes (The Craft of Anonymous Writing) or a shorter form in the text.
How do I alphabetise a source with no author?+
Alphabetise by the first significant word of the title, ignoring an initial article — "A", "An" or "The". So "The Craft of Citation" is alphabetised under "C" for "Craft". This keeps authorless entries findable in a list ordered mainly by surname.
Going deeper
