How to Cite a Group of Authors
Citing a group of authors in academic writing can be a bit tricky, especially when the number of authors exceeds three. The proper way to cite such a group varies depending on the citation style you are using, such as APA, MLA, or Chicago. In this article, we will guide you through the process of citing a group of authors in different citation styles.
APA Style
In APA style, when you have three or more authors, you list only the first author followed by “et al.” (which means “and others”) and the year of publication. For example:
> “The research findings suggest that social media usage is correlated with mental health issues (Smith, Jones, & Brown, et al., 2020).”
If you need to include the full list of authors in the text, you can do so in parentheses:
> “The research findings suggest that social media usage is correlated with mental health issues (Smith, Jones, Brown, Davis, & Evans, 2020).”
MLA Style
In MLA style, you follow a similar approach to APA. When citing a group of three or more authors, list only the first author followed by “et al.” and the year of publication. For example:
> “Social media usage is correlated with mental health issues (Smith et al., 2020).”
If you need to include the full list of authors in the text, you can do so in parentheses:
> “Social media usage is correlated with mental health issues (Smith, Jones, Brown, Davis, & Evans, 2020).”
Chicago Style
In Chicago style, the citation format varies depending on whether you are using the author-date system or the notes-bibliography system.
For the author-date system, you would write:
> “The research findings suggest that social media usage is correlated with mental health issues (Smith et al. 2020).”
For the notes-bibliography system, you would write:
> “The research findings suggest that social media usage is correlated with mental health issues. See Smith et al. 2020.”
Conclusion
Citing a group of authors may seem daunting at first, but following the guidelines for each citation style will help you create accurate and professional citations. Remember to always check the specific requirements of your academic institution or publication when in doubt. Happy writing!
