Sometimes the information needed to create a reference list entry is missing or unknown. When this is the case, there are various strategies to adapt the reference.
APA 7th Reference List: Missing Author of Anonymous Author
A work is treated as having no author when its author when its author is unknown or cannot reasonably be determined. In this case, move the title of the work to the author position (followed by a period), before the date of publicaton.
Libraries are cool places. (2022)
If, and only if the, the work is signed "Anonymous," use "Anonymous" as the author.
If, and oly if, the work is signed "Anonymous, begin the entry with the word "Anonymous," and alphabetize the entry as if Anonymous were a true name.
If there is no author and the work is not signed "Anonymous," the reference begins with the work's title; alphabetize the entry by the first significant word of the title (i.e., ignoring the words "A", "An," and "The" at the beginning of the title).
Alphabetize numerals as though they were spelled out (e.g., alphabetize 22 as though it were "twenty-two").
APA 7th Citation: Missing Author of Anonymous Author
When the author of a work is not named, the author may be unknown (i.e., no author is listed on the work, as with religious work) or identified specificially as "Anonymous". For works with an unknown author (see Section 9.12), include the title and year of publication in the in-text citation (note that the title moves to the author position in the reference list entry as well). If the title of the work is italicized in the reference, also italicize the title in the in-text citation. If the title of the work is not italicized in the reference, use double quotation marks around the title in the in-text citation. Capatilaize these titles in the text using title case (see Section 6.17), even though sentence case is used in the reference entry. If the title is long, shorten it for the in-text citation.
(Libraries are Cool Places, 2022)
("Librarians are Helpful", 2021)
When the author of a work is overtly designated as "anonymous" (see Section 9.12), "Anonymous" takes the place of the author name in the in-text citation.
