FAQ: How do I cite a resource with no author in Chicago Style?

Generally speaking, if you cannot identify the author of a source, you move the title to the author position in the references list and use a shortened version of the title for the in-text citation. Here are examples of how it works in the Chicago citation style:

No Author 

If the author or editor is unknown, the note or bibliography entry should normally begin with the title. An initial article is ignored in alphabetizing. 

Note Entry

General Format Example for a Book with No Author

 2. Book Title (Publisher Name, Year of Publication), Page Number.

Example

2. A True and Sincere Declaration of the Purpose and Ends of the Plantation Begun in Virginia, of the Degrees Which it Hath Received, and Means by Which it Hath Been Advanced (Oxford University Press, 1610), 17.

Bibliography Entry

General Format Example for a Book with No Author

Book Title. Publisher Name, Year of Publication.

Example

A True and Sincere Declaration of the Purpose and Ends of the Plantation Begun in Virginia, of the Degrees Which it Hath Received, and Means by Which it Hath Been Advanced. Oxford University Press, 1610

More Information

• Citing Your Sources Guide (Shapiro Library)  

Disclaimer

This information is intended to be a guideline, not expert advice. Please be sure to speak to your professor about the appropriate way to cite sources in your class assignments and projects.