How to Cite Without Author (APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard Examples)

When you write academic papers, you often rely on sources to support your ideas. But what happens when your source has no author listed? This can happen with webpages, reports, or organizational publications.

Knowing how to cite without an author is important to keep your work accurate, credible, and ethical. Each citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard) handles missing authors in slightly different ways. This guide breaks it all down, with clear examples and practical steps you can follow.

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Why Citations Without Authors Matter

Sometimes, a source may not have an identifiable writer. For example:

• A government report published by a ministry
  
  

• An NGO’s fact sheet
  
  

• A webpage from a large organization
  
  

• A news summary without bylines

Even without an individual name, you must still give credit to the source. Doing so:

• Shows your academic integrity
  
  

• Helps readers find the source
  
  

• Keeps your reference list organized and complete

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), proper citation of sources without authors ensures that credit goes to the entity or title responsible for the content, maintaining transparency in research.

How Citation Styles Handle Missing Authors

Before diving into specific examples, here’s a quick summary of what all citation styles agree on:

Each style then formats these parts differently. Let’s look at them one by one.

APA (7th Edition): Handling No Author Citations

APA style is often used in psychology, education, and the social sciences. The American Psychological Association states that when no author is available, you should move the title of the work to the author position.

1. When There Is an Organization as Author

Format:

Organization Name. (Year). Title of work. Source or URL

Example:

World Health Organization. (2021). Global health risks. https://www.who.int/globalhealthrisks

In-text citation:

(World Health Organization, 2021)

This method ensures the reader can trace the responsible body even if no individual wrote it.

2. When There Is No Author at All

If neither an individual nor organization can be identified:

Format:

Title of work. (Year). Source or URL

Example:

Climate change overview. (2019). https://climate.nasa.gov/resources

In-text citation:

("Climate change overview," 2019)

If the title is long, shorten it for in-text use.

Example:

(“Climate overview,” 2019)

<ProTip title="💡 Pro Tip:" description="When no author is listed, always move the title to the author position in APA references." />

You can confirm these rules from the APA Style official guidelines.

MLA (9th Edition): Handling No Author Citations

MLA format is common in the humanities, such as literature and history. The Modern Language Association recommends focusing on the title when no author exists.

1. When There Is an Organization as Author

Format:

Organization Name. Title of Work. Publisher, Year, URL.

Example:

World Health Organization. Global Health Risks. WHO, 2021, https://www.who.int/globalhealthrisks

In-text citation:

(World Health Organization 2021)

2. When There Is No Author

Format:

“Title.” Website Name, Year, URL.

Example:

“Climate Data.” Environment News, 2020, https://environmentnews.org/climatedata

In-text citation:

(“Climate Data” 2020)

When you alphabetize your Works Cited list, the title becomes the first element. Use quotation marks around article titles, and italicize book or website names.

<ProTip title="💡 Reminder:" description="In MLA, always put article titles in quotation marks and italicize container names like books or websites." />

Chicago (17th Edition): Notes and Author-Date Systems

The Chicago Manual of Style provides two systems:

• Notes and Bibliography (used in history and arts)
  
  

• Author-Date (used in social sciences)

Let’s cover both.

1. Notes and Bibliography System

If no author is listed, start with the title.

Footnote Example:

“Climate Change Overview,” 2019, https://example.org/climate

Bibliography Entry:

Climate Change Overview. 2019. https://example.org/climate

If the title is long, shorten it in footnotes after the first mention.

2. Author-Date System

Format:

Title of Work. Year. URL.

Example:

Climate Change Overview. 2019. https://example.org/climate

In-text citation:

(Climate Change Overview 2019)

<ProTip title="📚 Pro Tip:" description="In Chicago style, always italicize standalone works like books or reports and use quotation marks for shorter pieces." />

Harvard Style: No Author References

Harvard referencing is widely used in universities and research institutions. It closely resembles APA but uses parentheses for dates.

Format:

Title of work. Year. Website or Publisher. URL.

Example:

Climate change overview. 2019. Environment News. https://environmentnews.org/climate

In-text citation:

(Climate change overview 2019)

If no date is available, use “n.d.” for “no date.”

Example:

Sustainability insights. n.d. Eco Research Institute. https://ecoresearch.org/sustainability

In-text:

(Sustainability insights n.d.)

<ProTip title="💡 Note:" description="In Harvard style, use “n.d.” for missing dates and start entries with the title when no author is present." />

The University of Leeds Harvard Guide provides clear examples for citing sources without authors.

Common Scenarios for No-Author Citations

Here’s how to handle the most frequent cases you’ll encounter.

1. Government or NGO Reports

When an institution publishes the work:

• Use the institution as the author.
  
  

• If no author or organization is listed, start with the title.

Examples:

• APA: Population health report. (2021). Department of Health. https://health.gov/report
  
  

• MLA: “Population Health Report.” Department of Health, 2021, https://health.gov/report
  
  

• Chicago: Population Health Report. 2021. https://health.gov/report
  
  

• Harvard: Population health report. 2021. Department of Health. https://health.gov/report

<ProTip title="✅ Reminder:" description="When the publisher and author are the same organization, list it only once to avoid redundancy." />

2. Webpages or Online Articles with No Author

These are very common in online research.

Examples:

• APA: Energy conservation tips. (2020). https://energysave.gov/tips
  
  

• MLA: “Energy Conservation Tips.” Energy Save, 2020, https://energysave.gov/tips
  
  

• Chicago: Energy Conservation Tips. 2020. https://energysave.gov/tips
  
  

• Harvard: Energy conservation tips. 2020. Energy Save. https://energysave.gov/tips

If no publication date is given:

• APA: use “n.d.”
  
  

• MLA: omit the date entirely.
  
  

• Chicago & Harvard: use “n.d.”

3. Books or Reports Marked “Anonymous”

Sometimes works are intentionally labeled as Anonymous.

In that case, use “Anonymous” as the author name.

Example (APA):

Anonymous. (2018). Confidential memoirs. Random House.

In-text:

(Anonymous, 2018)

Example (MLA):

Anonymous. Confidential Memoirs. Random House, 2018.

4. Corporate or Institutional Authors

When the author is a company, university, or agency, always write the full organization name.

Examples:

• (American Red Cross, 2022)
  
  

• (NASA, 2023)
  
  

• (World Bank, 2021)

Checklist: How to Handle Missing Authors

Use this quick checklist before finalizing your references:

<ProTip title="📝 Quick Tip:" description="Always match your in-text citations to your reference list entry exactly, same first element, same year." />

Practical Application: Real-World Example

Let’s say you’re writing a research paper about climate data, and you find a webpage titled Climate Facts 2022 with no listed author, published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Here’s how you’d cite it across styles:

Each style prioritizes the organization name or title depending on what is missing.

Troubleshooting No-Author Citations

If you’re unsure how to classify a source, use these checks:

1. Check the header or footer: sometimes the organization name appears there.

2. Look at the URL: the domain (.gov, .org) often reveals the entity.

3. Search for a copyright notice: it may include the responsible publisher.

4. Use the title only as a last resort: if there’s truly no author or entity.

Best Practices for Citing Anonymous or No-Author Sources

Follow these habits to make your work consistent and professional:

• Be consistent: Use the same approach throughout your document.
  
  

• Use the same title version: Don’t switch between shortened and full versions across citations.
  
  

• Keep formatting identical: Italics, quotation marks, and punctuation must follow your chosen style.
  
  

• Double-check capitalization: APA and Harvard use sentence case, MLA and Chicago use title case.

<ProTip title="🔍 Pro Tip:" description="If your source has no date, no author, and no title, it is usually unreliable. Consider finding a stronger reference." />

What This Means in Practice

When you learn how to cite without an author, you protect your credibility as a researcher. You also help others verify your information easily.

Here’s a quick takeaway:

• If there’s a corporate author, use it.
  
  

• If not, use the title.
  
  

• If there’s no date, write n.d.
  
  

• Always check formatting with your chosen style guide.

With these steps, your citations stay clean, consistent, and professional, no matter how tricky the source.

Successfully Handling Sources Without an Author

Citing sources without authors is simple once you understand the logic: replace the author’s name with the next identifying element usually the title or organization.

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Whether you use APA, MLA, Chicago, or Harvard, the principle remains the same: make sure readers can trace your source clearly and easily. Proper citations make your writing stronger, more credible, and academically honest.