Table of contents
FAQ
What do you do if your source doesn't list an author?
If a source doesn't list an author, you must first determine whether the author is anonymous, or whether the document was written by a corporation or committee. Then, observe the following guidelines:
Anonymous source and MLA style Use the title and page number (Encyclopedia of Style 78) in the parenthetical reference. (If the title of the book is long, use a shortened version. However, be sure that this version begins with the same word as the full title, so that the reader can easily find the reference on your List of Works Cited page.) On the List of Works Cited page, begin the entry with the title and cite as you would any book: Encyclopedia of Style. New York: Random House, 1997. Do NOT begin the entry with "Anonymous."
Anonymous source and APA style If — and only if — your source is signed "Anonymous," you will in the parenthetical reference write: (Anonymous, 1993). On the List of Works Cited page, you will cite and alphabetize the work as if "Anonymous" were the author's name. If, on the other hand, the author's name is simply not listed, then the title moves to the author position, and the entry is referenced according to the title.
Corporate author and MLA style Sometimes, the author of a source is a corporate author. When making a reference to a corporate author within your own text, you are advised by the MLA Handbook to refer to the corporation in the body of your paragraphs and to avoid citing them in your parenthetical references. For example: "According to a study sponsored by the United Nations, the world's resources have been decreased in 1998 by 20% (22)." If you must put the name of the corporation inside the parenthesis, do so (United Nations 22).
Finally, when you are creating your List of Works Cited page, list the book by the corporate author: United Nations. The United Nations 1998 Report on World Resources. New York: HarperCollins, 1998.Corporate author and APA style The APA allows you to abbreviate references to corporate authors, but only when those abbreviations are familiar or readily understandable. The first time you mention a source with a group author, you will need to use the complete corporate name (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 1993). Subsequent references within your text might look like this: (NIMH, 1993). On the List of Works Cited page, you list the source as you would any publication: National Institute of Mental Health. (1993). Report on Mental Health in the American Workplace. New York: McGraw-Hill.
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