APA citation for multiple authors: 2, 3 or more authors
Quick answer
In APA 7, cite a two-author work with both last names joined by "&" in parentheses: (Lopez & Rivera, 2023). For three or more authors, give the first author's last name followed by "et al." from the first citation: (Lopez et al., 2023). The reference list names up to 20 authors.
How are authors cited in the text?
| Number of authors | Parenthetical | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| One | (Lopez, 2023) | Lopez (2023) |
| Two | (Lopez & Rivera, 2023) | Lopez and Rivera (2023) |
| Three or more | (Lopez et al., 2023) | Lopez et al. (2023) |
"Et al." abbreviates "and others." It always ends with a period.
How are several authors written in the reference list?
All of them appear, up to 20. Write last name and initials, with an ampersand before the last author.
Lopez, L., Rivera, M., & Torres, A. (2023). Urban gardens and city life.
Example Press.With 21 authors or more, write the first 19, an ellipsis and the last author.
What if two groups of authors shorten the same way?
If "Lopez et al., 2023" could mean two different works, add as many names as needed to tell them apart, then "et al.": (Lopez, Rivera, et al., 2023) and (Lopez, Torres, et al., 2023).
How do I cite several works in one set of parentheses?
Alphabetize by author and separate with semicolons: (Lopez, 2023; Rivera & Torres, 2022). For several works by one author, give the name once and list the years: (Lopez, 2019, 2023).
Checklist
- Two authors: both names
- Three or more: first author and "et al."
- Reference list shows up to 20 authors
- "&" inside parentheses, "and" in the sentence
- Multiple works in alphabetical order
Frequently asked questions
How do you cite 3 authors in APA 7?
Use the first author's last name and et al.: (Lopez et al., 2023). This starts with the first citation, unlike APA 6, which named every author the first time. The reference list still names all three.
How many authors go in the reference list?
Up to 20 authors are written out, separated by commas, with an ampersand before the last one. For 21 or more, list the first 19, an ellipsis and the final author.
Do I use "and" or "&"?
Use an ampersand (&) inside parentheses and in the reference list, and the word and in running text. For example, Lopez and Rivera (2023) found that gardens grew, but the parenthetical form is (Lopez & Rivera, 2023).