Sometimes, writers must refer to information from a private or public document from the research site, yet the research site itself must not be named.

There are ways to cite private information in your text while protecting the anonymity of the research site. Whether including the item in the body of the sentence or as a parenthetical text citation, refer to the item in broad, general terms, such as these examples:

•  “The organization serves a wide range of industries (as indicated in the organization’s online profile).”
• “As stated in the institution’s annual report for 2014, ROI continues to grow.”
• “Over 80% of the student population continues on to post-high school education (as reported in the school’s 2014-2015 catalog).

A few dos and don’ts to keep in mind when working with private sources:

• Do state the type of document (e.g., annual report) so you yourself will always be able to know the exact source you are citing.
• Do proofread carefully for any accidental mention of the name of the private source.
• Do not use actual document or web page titles.
• Do not mimic an APA author–date citation.
• Do not add the source to the reference list.