How can a person cite multiple authors?


Quick Answer

Using the Modern Language Association, or MLA, style, cite multiple authors using the author's names or "et al," depending on the number of authors in the source. If there are only two authors, cite them with each name. If there is a larger number, one name with "et al" can be used.

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Full Answer

When writing a formal paper and referencing books or papers, the authors should be cited in the work. The manner in which the citation is written depends upon the number of authors.

  1. Determine the number of authors

    If there are only two authors, cite both names. For example, "Cross, Susan and Christine Hoffman" or simply "Cross and Hoffman" would work. When there are three writers, the citation is similar, "Lowi, Theodore, Benjamin Ginsberg and Steven Jackson." For more than three authors, use the first author's name followed by "et al." An example would be "Gilman, Sander, et al."

  2. Add the identifying information of the citation

    In addition to the author's names, other identifying information of the work should be included. These details include the name of the book, the edition, the publisher, the year published and the format, such as print or online.

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