Answered By: Jonathan Faerber (he/him/his)
Last Updated: Feb 19, 2022     Views: 9849

APA Style (7th ed.)

Citing a work by more than two authors

Cite the first author plus “et al.” in every citation, including the first. For example, a resource by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, and Switzler includes only the name of the primary author, followed by et al.:

  • Parenthetical citation: (Patterson et al., 2012)
  • Narrative citation: Patterson et al. (2012)

All four authors are included in the reference entry for the resource, up to and including 20 authors:

Patterson, K., Grenny, J., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2012). Crucial conversations: Tools for talking when the stakes are high (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill. https://library.books24x7.com/toc.aspx?bookid=44095

For information on formatting a reference entry for a resource cited as "et al." in text, please see How Should I Present the Author(s)'s and/or Editor(s)'s Names in My Reference in APA Style?.