(including encyclopedias and dictionaries with no author).
When referencing a book with neither an individual nor corporate author, use the title of the book in place of the missing author's name in both the reference list entry and your in-text citations. If the title is especially long, use a shortened version of it in text.
Title of book in italic sentence case. (Date). Name of Publisher.
The complete encyclopaedia of garden flowers. (2007). Bateman.
Examples
Reference list entry
The complete encyclopaedia of garden flowers. (2003). Bateman.
In-text citations
Page/paragraph numbers are optional for paraphrased information.
Narrative
The Complete Encyclopaedia of Garden Flowers (2003) depicts ... (p. 19).
Parenthetical
... (The Complete Encyclopaedia of Garden Flowers, 2003, p. 19).
How do I reference a resource with an unknown or anonymous author?
| Type of source | Reference list entry | In-text citations | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Book |
Title in author position in Italic sentence case. | Shorten title if appropriate; use Italic Title Case. |
College Bound Seniors (2008) states that ... (p. 27). (College Bound Seniors, 2008, p. 27). |
| Chapter Article Webpage |
Title in author position in sentence case, no italics. | Shorten title if appropriate; enclose in quotation marks ("..."); use Title Case. | ... on free care ("Study Finds", 2007). |
See Publication Manual (7th ed.), section 8.14, pp. 264–265.
Locating the author of a source
