When citing a source with multiple authors in APA style, the format varies depending on the number of authors and the context in which the citation is used. Here are the guidelines for in-text citations for sources with multiple authors:
2 Authors
For sources with two authors, include both authors’ last names in every in-text citation. Use an ampersand (&) when the citation is in parentheses, but use “and” when the citation is part of the sentence.
- In parentheses: (Smith & Johnson, 2020)
- In the sentence: Smith and Johnson (2020) argued that…
3-5 Authors
For sources with three to five authors, include all authors’ last names in the first in-text citation. In subsequent citations, use the first author’s last name followed by “et al.” (which means “and others”).
- First citation (in parentheses): (Smith, Johnson, Williams, & Brown, 2020)
- First citation (in the sentence): Smith, Johnson, Williams, and Brown (2020) found…
- Subsequent citations (in parentheses): (Smith et al., 2020)
- Subsequent citations (in the sentence): Smith et al. (2020) concluded that…
6 or More Authors
For sources with six or more authors, use the first author’s last name followed by “et al.” in every citation.
- In parentheses: (Smith et al., 2020)
- In the sentence: Smith et al. (2020) suggested that…
No Date or No Author
If the source does not have a date, use “n.d.” (no date) in the citation. If the source does not have an author, use the title in the citation, and capitalize major words.
- No date: (Smith, 2020, n.d.)
- No author: (“Global Warming,” 2020)
Group Authors
For sources with group authors (e.g., organizations, government agencies), use the full name in the first citation. In subsequent citations, you can abbreviate the name if it is long, as long as the abbreviation is provided in the first citation.
- First citation: (American Psychological Association [APA], 2020)
- Subsequent citations: (APA, 2020)
Remember, the key to correctly citing sources in APA style is to be consistent and to ensure that every source cited in the text has a corresponding reference in the reference list. Always consult the latest edition of the APA Publication Manual for the most current guidelines.
