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APA Help (6th edition): When Author/Title/Date is Missing

A guide with helpful information on how to cite your resources and format your written assignments in APA citation.

How to Write an APA Style Reference When Information Is Missing

Sometimes a source you are trying to cite is missing part of the information needed to complete the citation.  These can include author, title, or date.  When this happens, use the following table to help you complete your APA citation.

  Missing Pieces

What's Missing?

  

No Author

What do I do?

Substitute title for author; then provide date and source. 

Example for an Article

How anonymous are you online? Examining online social behaviors from a cross-cultural perspective.

(2008). Al & Society23, 297-307. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00146-007-0143-0

 

Example for a  Website

More tests needed before Ohio city gets water back. (2014, August 4). Retrieved from 

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/08/03/toledo-tells-residents-not-to-drink-water-due-to-presence-toxins/

Example for a Book

Fodor's Amsterdam & the Netherlands. (2011). New York, NY: Fodor’s Travel Publications.

 

 

This table was compiled using information from the following sources:

 

 

American Psychological Association. (2009). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. Washington, DC.

American Psychological Association. (2012, May 17). Missing pieces: How to write an APA style reference even without all the information.

Retrieved from https://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2012/05/missing-pieces.html

Baker College. (2019, April 9). References & in-text citation examples. Retrieved from https://guides.baker.edu/c.php?g=304134&p=2025531 

 

Sometimes a source you are trying to cite is missing part of the information needed to complete the citation.  These can include author, title, or date.  When this happens, use the following table to help you complete your APA citation.

  Missing Pieces

What's Missing?

  

No Date

What do I do?

Provide author, substitute n.d. for no date, and then give title and source. 

Example for an Article

Morio, H., & Bushholtz, C. (n.d.). How anonymous are you online? Examining online social

behaviors from a cross-cultural perspective. Al & Society23, 297-307.

https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00146-007-0143-0

Example for a  Website

United States Sentencing Commission. (n.d.). An overview of the federal sentencing guidelines. Retrieved from

http://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/about/overview/Overview_Federal_Sentencing_Guidelines.pdf

Example for a Book

Waller, B. N. (n.d.). Consider ethics: Theory, readings, and contemporary issues (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ:

Prentice Hall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes a source you are trying to cite is missing part of the information needed to complete the citation.  These can include author, title, or date.  When this happens, use the following table to help you complete your APA citation.

  Missing Pieces

What's Missing?

 

No Title

What do I do?

Provide author and date, describe document inside square brackets, and then give source.

Example for an Article

Kristof, K.M. (2009, July 5). [Letter to the editor]. Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com

 

Example for a  Website

Strang, J. [Photographer]. (2016). [Untitled photograph of the Aurora Borealis]. Retrieved from

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Polarlicht_2.jpg

Example for a Book

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). [Special section]. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Publishing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes a source you are trying to cite is missing part of the information needed to complete the citation.  These can include author, title, or date.  When this happens, use the following table to help you complete your APA citation.

  Missing Pieces

What's Missing?

 

No Author & No Date

What do I do?

Substitute title for author and n.d. for no date; then give source.

Example for an Article

How anonymous are you online? Examining online social behaviors from a cross-cultural perspective.

(n.d.). Al & Society23, 297-307. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00146-007-0143-0

Example for a  Website

 

Internet crime prevention tips. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ic3.gov/preventiontips.aspx

Example for a Book

 

Fodor's Amsterdam & the Netherlands. (n.d.). New York, NY: Fodor’s Travel Publications.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes a source you are trying to cite is missing part of the information needed to complete the citation.  These can include author, title, or date.  When this happens, use the following table to help you complete your APA citation.

  Missing Pieces

What's Missing?

  

No Author & No Title

What do I do?

Substitute description of document inside square brackets for author; then give date and source. 

Example for an Article

[Letter to the editor]. (2009, July 5). Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com

Example for a  Website

[Untitled photograph of the Aurora Borealis]. (2016). Retrieved from

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Polarlicht_2.jpg

Example for a Book

[Special section]. (2013). Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Publishing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes a source you are trying to cite is missing part of the information needed to complete the citation.  These can include author, title, or date.  When this happens, use the following table to help you complete your APA citation.

  Missing Pieces

What's Missing?

 

No Date & No Title

What do I do?

Provide author, substitute n.d. for no date, describe document inside square brackets, and then give source.

Example for an Article

Kristof, K.M. (n.d.). [Letter to the editor]. Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com

Example for a  Website

Strang, J. [Photographer]. (n.d.). [Untitled photograph of the Aurora Borealis]. Retrieved from

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Polarlicht_2.jpg

Example for a Book

American Psychiatric Association. (n.d.). [Special section]. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Publishing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes a source you are trying to cite is missing part of the information needed to complete the citation.  These can include author, title, or date.  When this happens, use the following table to help you complete your APA citation.

  Missing Pieces

What's Missing?

 

No Author, Date, & Title

What do I do?

Substitute description of document inside square brackets for author, substitute n.d. for no date, and then give source.

Example for an Article

[Letter to the editor]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com

Example for a  Website

[Untitled photograph of the Aurora Borealis]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Polarlicht_2.jpg

Example for a Book

[Special section]. (n.d.). Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Publishing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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