When the author of a work is not known, the title of the work will be used in place of the author. There are some important details to be aware of however.
- If the title is long, it should be shortened for the in-text citation.
- Titles should be in title case even though they will be in sentence case on the References page.
- If the title is italicized in the reference, then it should also be italicized within the in-text citation.
Examples:
Children who are neglected suffer from trauma that can last a lifetime (Foundations of Social Literacy, 2018).
According to Foundations of Social Literacy, children who are neglected suffer from trauma that can last a lifetime (2018).
- If the title of the work is not italicized within the reference, use quotation marks around the title.
Examples:
Vitamin D deficiency affects approximately one billion people worldwide (“Medical Science Today,” 2019).
“Medical Science Today” professes that vitamin D deficiency affects approximately one billion people worldwide (2019).
- If the work is attributed to “Anonymous,” use “Anonymous” in place of the author. There is no need to italicize or use quotes.
Example:
The field of psychology is filled with people who want to understand their own lives (Anonymous, 2020).
