How to Cite Three Authors in MLA
When writing a research paper or any academic document, it is essential to provide proper citations to acknowledge the sources of information. One common scenario is when you need to cite three authors in your work. The Modern Language Association (MLA) citation format has specific guidelines for citing multiple authors. This article will guide you on how to cite three authors in MLA format.
Formatting the In-text Citation
When citing three authors in MLA format, you should include all three names in the in-text citation. Place a comma between the first two authors, and then use an ampersand (&) before the last author’s name. For example:
– (Smith, Jones, & Brown 23)
If you are quoting directly from the source, you can also include the page number after the author names, as shown above.
Formatting the Works Cited Entry
The Works Cited list provides a detailed reference to the source you cited in your paper. When citing three authors, the format is as follows:
– Last name, First name. “Title of the Source.” Title of the Container, other contributors, version, numbers, publisher, publication date, location.
Here is an example:
– Brown, James, John Smith, and Mary Brown. “The Impact of Climate Change on Coastal Cities.” Environmental Studies, vol. 3, no. 2, 2020, pp. 45-58.
In this example, “Brown, James, John Smith, and Mary Brown” are the three authors, and “The Impact of Climate Change on Coastal Cities” is the title of the source. The rest of the entry includes the title of the container, volume and issue numbers, publisher, publication date, and location.
Formatting a Source with Three or More Authors
If the source has three or more authors, you can use a shortened form of the author names in the in-text citation. To do this, list the first author followed by “et al.” (meaning “and others”) and the year of publication. For example:
– (Smith et al. 45)
In the Works Cited entry, you can still include all the authors’ names, but you can also use “et al.” to indicate that there are more authors than the first three:
– Smith, John, Jane Doe, and et al. “The Role of Technology in Education.” Journal of Educational Technology, vol. 10, no. 1, 2019, pp. 10-25.
Conclusion
Citing three authors in MLA format may seem challenging at first, but following these guidelines will help you create accurate and professional citations. By formatting your in-text citations and Works Cited entries correctly, you can ensure that your work is properly credited and meets MLA standards.
