No author

In-text:

In the absence of an author, include the title in your in-text citation using the format (Title of document, year, page if applicable).
If the title is long, include only the first couple of words of the title.
The title of the article, a chapter or webpage should be put in quotation marks; the title of the book or a report should be in italics.

Example

The city of Calgary has made large tracts of land available for development (“Regional,” 1993).

In the reference list:

Move the title of the work in the author position, before the year: Document title. (Year).
Format the rest of the reference according to the rules of the specific document type.

Example

Suicide. (2010). In The new encyclopaedia Britannica: Micropedia (15th ed., vol. 11, p. 359). Encyclopaedia Britannica.

No date

Replace the year by n.d., meaning no date.

In-text:

Example

Eutrophication of waterways most severely affects seafloor animals, who cannot relocate when their habitat starts degrading (World Resources Institute [WRI], n.d.).

In the reference list:

Example

World Resources Institute (n.d.) Eutrophication and hypoxia. https://www.wri.org/initiatives/eutrophication-and-hypoxia/learn

No title

When no title is given, write a brief description of the document and enclose it in square brackets.

In-text:

(Author Last Name, year, page if applicable)

Example

(Kowalski, 2023).

In the reference list:

Author Last Name, Initials. (Year). [Brief description of document]. Format the rest of the reference according to the rules for the specific document type.

Example

Kowalski, W. (2023) [Diagram of a cell].

No author, no date

In-text:

(Title of document, n.d., page number if applicable)

Example

Identity formation is an important focus for researchers studying the psychology of teenagers (Adolescent psychology, n.d., p. 89).

In the reference list:

Title of document. (n.d.). Format the rest of the reference according to the rules for the specific document type.

Example

Adolescent psychology. (n.d.)

No author, no title

In text:

([Brief description of document], year)

Example

([Poster protesting renovictions], 2024)

In the reference list:

[Brief description of document]. (Year). Format the rest of the reference according to the rules for the specific document type.

Example

[Poster protesting renovictions]. (2024)

Note:

Make sure to verify if the type of document you’re citing requires the title to be in italics.

No date, no title

In text:

(Last name of author, n.d.)

Example

(Dylan, n.d.)

In the reference list:

Author last name, Initials. (n.d.). [Brief description of document]. Format the rest of the reference according to the rules for the specific document type.

Example

Dylan, B. (n.d.). [Letter to a fan].

No author, no date, no title

When no title is given, write a brief description of the document and enclose it in square brackets.

In text:

([Brief description of document], n.d.)

Example

This map shows that Edmonton and Calgary are the two most densely populated cities in Alberta ([Map showing Canadian population density], n.d.).

In the reference list:

[Brief description of document]. (n.d.). Format the rest of the reference according to the rules for the specific document type.

Note:

Make sure to verify if the type of document you’re citing requires the title to be in italics.

Example

[Map showing Canadian population density]. (n.d.).

Document with no page numbers

When a document has no page numbers, use another element of the document structure to point to the location of a quote. Here are a few examples:

Paragraph number: (Légaré, 2024, para.4).
Chapter or other heading title: (Légaré, 2024, section Entente avec le fournisseur)
Slide number: (Légaré, 2025, slide 34).
Time stamp: (Légaré, 2024, 15:40). Give the time corresponding to the beginning of the quotation.

The precise location of your quotation appears only in the in text citation; it is not included in the complete reference list. If nothing is available to give a more precise location, close your parentheses after the year.

Artwork in a museum

Citing within your text

Bibliography

Helpful hints

Documents with missing information

Documents with more than one author

Document published by one or more organizations

Documents by the same author(s)

Online documents with a DOI

How to format the Reference list

Important note

Resources