What to Do When Information is Missing

Adapted from Table 9.1 in the APA Publication Manual (2019, p. 284).

I Am Missing...	Solution	In-Text Citation	Reference List Entry
Author	Put the title in the author space	(Shortened title, date, p.#).	Full title. (date). Source.
Date	Put "n.d." in the date space	(Author, n.d., p.#).	Author. (n.d.). Title. Source.
Title	Describe the work in square brackets	(Author, date, p.#).	Author. (date). [Description of work]. Source.
Source	Cite as personal communication	(Name, personal communication, date)	No entry

No Author

If the source has no author, put the title in the "author" space. 

In-text citation: (Title, date, p. #). 

Example:

(What is Pelvic Floor, 2022)

• Note: If the title is long, use only the first few words so your reader 
• If the title is italicized in the reference list, italicize the title in the in-text citation. If the title is not italicized in the reference list, then use quotation marks around the title in the in-text citation. E.g, ("Generalized Anxiety Disorder", p. 19). 

Reference list entry: Title. (date). Source.

Example:

What is pelvic floor physiotherapy and how can a  physiotherapist improve your pelvic health? (2022, November12). Kinesis Physical Therapy. https://kinesispt.com/what-is-pelvic-floor-physiotherapy-and-how-can-a-physiotherapist-improve-your-pelvic-health/

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No Date

If the source has no date, use "n.d." in the date space.

In-text citation: (Author, n.d., p #).

Example: 

(City of Grande Prairie, n.d.)

Reference list entry: Author. (n.d.). Title. Source.

Example: 

City of Grande Prairie. (n.d.). Grande Prairie museum. https://cityofgp.com/parks-recreation/facilities-venues/museums/grande-prairie-museum

• Note: Recall that for websites, a corporation may be used if there is no author. If the corporation and website names are the same, the name is not repeated. See "Websites" on the "References" page for another example.

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No Page 

If the source has no page number, do not include this section in your in-text citation. You may use "para #" instead of "p. #" if the source includes paragraph numbers.

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No Title

If the source has no title, describe the work in square brackets.

In-text citation: (Author, date, p. #).

Example: 

(Nomen, 2023)

Reference list entry: Author. (date). [Description of work]. Source.

Example:

Nomen, S. (2023) [Photograph of a kitten playing with yarn]. allaboutcats.ca

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No Source

If the source is non-recoverable (e.g., email, class lecture), cite the source as personal communication (section 8.9 in the APA Manual, 7th edition). Personal communications are only cited in-text because the reader does not have access to the source. 

In-text citation: (Name, personal communication, date)

Example:

(Teevin Fournier, personal communication, December 10, 2023)

Reference list entry: No entry

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More than one element missing

There are cases where more than one element is missing. In this case, combine the rules mentioned above. APA is structured so that you can cite anything, including a sticky note you found on the bathroom mirror. 

For example:

In-text citation:

Example:

([Sticky note with smiley face], n.d.)

Reference list entry: no entry for sticky note

 

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Adapted from sections 9.12, 9.17, 9.22, and 9.37 in the APA Publication Manual, 7th Edition (2019).

You may also wish to check out the Missing Reference Information page on the APA Style Blog