When citing a source with no author, what is the correct formatting in APA style?

In APA style, when citing a source that has no identifiable author, the correct approach is to use the title of the work in the citation. This is because APA format emphasizes that readers must still be able to locate the source, even if an author name is not available.

By incorporating the title into both the in-text citation and the reference list, you ensure that the citation remains clear and accessible. In the in-text citation, the title would be italicized if it is a book or report, or presented in quotation marks if it is an article or webpage. In the reference list, the full title would lead the entry. This method maintains the necessary information for readers to find the source and recognizes the work itself, rather than abandoning the idea of citation altogether.

Other methods suggested, such as using "Anonymous" or skipping the citation, would not comply with APA guidelines, as they do not provide the required information necessary for readers to effectively locate the source being referenced. Similarly, citing as personal communication is not applicable here, as personal communications refer to unique, unarchived information shared with the researcher, which is fundamentally different from a published work.