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How to quote a publication without a clear author's identity?

October 30, 2025
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When citing a publication lacking a clear individual author, the organizational entity responsible for issuing the document becomes the designated author in formal citations. This substitution maintains source attribution integrity. The fundamental principle involves replacing the personal author's name with the name of the producing organization, such as a corporation, government agency, or non-profit group. Include the full publication year and title as usual. Verifying that the organization is unambiguously the content's originator is critical. Common examples include annual reports, technical manuals, governmental publications, and organizational whitepapers. Consistent adherence to a specific citation style (e.g., APA: Organization Name. (Year). *Title*.; MLA: Organization Name. *Title*. Year.) ensures clarity. To implement this, identify the publishing organization and use its exact name as the author element within your citations and reference list entries. Specify the complete document title and publication year precisely. Always include sufficient source information (e.g., publisher location if needed, URL for online sources) for retrievability. Following these steps upholds academic integrity by transparently attributing authorship to the responsible body, lending credibility to your research arguments.
How to quote a publication without a clear author's identity?
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