WHAT IS APA'S STYLE OF REFERENCE CITATION? APA style uses
the author/date method of citation in which the author's last name and the year of the publication are inserted in the actual text of the paper
. It is the style recommended by the American Psychological Association and used in many of the social sciences.
List only the first author's name followed by “et al.”
in every citation, even the first, unless doing so would create ambiguity between different sources. In et al., et should not be followed by a period. … Since et al. is plural, it should always be a substitute for more than one name.
- 2 Authors: Always cite both authors' names in-text everytime you reference them. Example: Johnson and Smith (2009) found…
- 6 or More Authors: If a document has six or more authors, simply provide the last name of the first author with “et al.” from the first citation to the last. Example: Thomas et al.
NOTE: The in-text citation for works with three or more authors is
shortened to the first author's name followed by et al. and the year.
How do you cite literature?
The Literature Cited section (bibliography) is found at the end of your paper and contains the complete reference for each of the in-text citations used in your paper. Generally, a citation includes the author(s), date, title and source of your publication.
For a work with one or two authors, include the author name(s) in every citation. For a work
with three or more authors
, include the name of only the first author plus “et al.” in every citation, including the first citation, unless doing so would create ambiguity.
Can I use et al in APA?
The abbreviation “et al.” (meaning “and others”) is
used to shorten in-text citations with three or more authors
. Only include the first author's last name, followed by “et al.”, a comma and the year of publication, for example (Taylor et al., 2018). …
Only when a work has
six or more authors
should the first in-text citation consist of the first author followed by et al. With five or fewer authors, all the author surnames should be spelled out at first mention.
Specifically, articles with one or two authors include all names in every in-text citation; articles with three, four, or five authors include
all names in the first in-text citation
but are abbreviated to the first author name plus et al.
- 2 Authors: Always cite both authors' names in-text everytime you reference them. Example: Johnson and Smith (2009) found…
- 6 or More Authors: If a document has six or more authors, simply provide the last name of the first author with “et al.” from the first citation to the last. Example: Thomas et al.
How do you write et al in APA 7?
In APA 7, for a work with three or more authors,
list the first author and “et al.” for all citations
, including the first citation, unless doing so would create ambiguity.
List by last names and initials
; commas separate author names. After the sixth author's name, use an ellipsis in place of the author names. Then provide the final author name. There should be no more than seven names.
You may include
up to 20 authors
in a reference list entry.
When can I use et al in APA citation?
The phrase “et al.” is used with in-text citations only
when referencing a source that has three or more authors
. Include the name of only the first author's last name plus “et al.” in every citation.
How is et al pronounce?
If you are asking whether you should actually say ‘et al. ‘ or something different, that is up to you. Academia has a close question: ‘et al' in presentation speech, and the remarks there suggest ‘and others', ‘and coauthors', and the accepted answer suggests ‘and his/her group
/coauthors/colleagues
‘.
