Apa Cite An Article With No Author

Citing an Article with No Author in APA Style

When citing an article with no identifiable author, the American Psychological Association (APA) style guidelines provide clear instructions to ensure proper attribution and consistency. Below is a comprehensive guide to handling such citations, including step-by-step instructions, examples, and considerations for different scenarios.

General Rule for No Author Citations

If an article lacks an author, APA style instructs you to move the title of the article to the author position in the reference list and in-text citations. The title should be formatted in sentence case (capitalizing only the first word and any proper nouns).

Reference List Entry

For an article with no author, the reference list entry follows this structure:

Title of the article. (Year, Month Day). *Title of the Periodical*, Volume(Issue), page range. DOI or URL  

Example:
Climate change impacts on global agriculture. (2021, September 15). Environmental Science Today, 45(3), 123-135. https://doi.org/10.1234/est.2021.001

In-Text Citations

When citing an article with no author in the text, use the first few words of the article title (in quotation marks) and the year of publication.

Example:
(“Climate change impacts,” 2021)

If the title is long, shorten it to the first few words:
(“Climate change impacts on global agriculture,” 2021)

Special Cases

1. Articles from Websites with No Author

If the article is from a website and lacks an author, include the website name in the reference list instead of the periodical title.

Example:
Renewable energy trends in 2023. (2023, March 20). Green Energy Insights. https://www.greenenergyinsights.com/trends-2023

2. Articles with Organizational Authors

If the article is published by an organization but lacks a specific author, use the organization’s name in place of the author.

Example:
World Health Organization. (2022, June 10). Global health trends report. WHO Bulletin, 90(6), 456-467. https://doi.org/10.1234/who.2022.002

3. Articles with No Date

If the article has no publication date, use “n.d.” (no date) in place of the year.

Example:
The role of AI in education. (n.d.). Tech Innovations Journal, 12(2), 89-102.

Step-by-Step Guide to Citing No-Author Articles

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Omitting the Title: Always use the article title in place of the author.
  
• Incorrect Formatting: Ensure the title is in sentence case, not title case.
  
• Missing DOI or URL: Include a DOI if available; otherwise, use the URL.
  

FAQ Section

Key Takeaway

Citing articles with no author in APA style requires using the article title in place of the author, both in the reference list and in-text citations. Ensure proper formatting, including sentence case for titles and inclusion of DOIs or URLs. Following these guidelines ensures accuracy and consistency in your academic writing.