Unknown Author
If no person(s) is listed as the author of a source, the next step is to locate the group author – or the organization – responsible for the source. Often this is a professional organization, an educational institution, or a corporation.
If no person or group author information is given, refer to the title of the source in your citation. If the title of the source is long, use the first significant word or two of the title for the citation.
- According to “Nursing ethics” (2013), …
- (“Nursing ethics,” 2013)
Note: Titles of articles and chapters are placed in quotations. Titles of books and reports are in italics.
If the title of the book or article is long, shorten it to the first few words of the title for the in-text citation. (Still use the full title on your reference page.)
For example: Your article is titled “Nursing ethics in today’s computer savvy culture: How technology and social media is affecting America’s health system.”
Shorten to “Nursing ethics” to reduce clutter in-text, but still provide enough information to the reader to locate full title on the reference page.
Unknown Date
If the publication date of a source is not provided, use the abbreviation “n.d.” for “no date.”
- Johnson (n.d.) explained…
- (Johnson, n.d.)
If using an electronic source, such as a website, be sure to carefully search the page for publication date information.
Unknown Page Number
If a source does not have clearly labeled page numbers, use the paragraph number or section header to help locate the source. Use the abbreviation “para.” for the word “paragraph.”
- Johnson (2013) argues that “strict enforcement of stylistic rules and regulations must be conducted at all levels of academia to better the student experience and work quality” (Importance of APA Style section, para. 3).
- (Johnson, 2013, para. 3)