How to cite multiple authors mla

In the world of academic writing, properly citing sources is crucial for maintaining credibility and avoiding plagiarism. Imagine you’re working on a research paper with a long list of references, some of which have multiple authors. You find yourself staring at your citation guide, feeling overwhelmed by the rules of the Modern Language Association (MLA) format. You want to make sure you’re doing it right, but you’re unsure how to list those authors in a way that adheres to the guidelines. Let’s clarify how to do this effectively so you can focus on crafting your paper instead of fretting over citations.

To cite multiple authors in MLA format, list the first author’s last name, followed by their first name. After a comma, include the second author’s name in first name last name order. For sources with three or more authors, list the first author followed by “et al.” in your in-text citation. In the works cited page, list all authors for up to three authors. For four or more authors, list the first author followed by “et al.”

When citing multiple authors in MLA format, it’s important to follow specific guidelines for both in-text citations and the works cited page. For a source with two authors, you should format it like this: Last Name, First Name, and First Name Last Name. For example: Smith, John, and Jane Doe. If there are three authors, list all their names in the same way: Last Name, First Name, First Name Last Name, First Name Last Name.

However, when a source has four or more authors, only the first author’s name should be listed on the works cited page followed by the phrase “et al.” For example: Smith, John, et al. In your in-text citation, also use “et al.” after the first author’s name: (Smith et al. 23). Remember to always capitalize proper nouns in the authors’ names and ensure that the structure adheres to the MLA guidelines, so that your citations help you maintain precision and clarity in your academic writing.