How to In-Text Cite APA with Two Authors
In academic writing, proper citation is essential to give credit to the original authors of the ideas and information used. The American Psychological Association (APA) citation style is widely used in the social sciences, psychology, and other related fields. One common scenario in APA citation is when you need to cite a source with two authors. This article will guide you on how to in-text cite APA with two authors correctly.
When citing a source with two authors in APA style, you should include both authors’ last names and the year of publication in parentheses directly following the quote or paraphrase. The format is as follows:
– (Author1 & Author2, Year)
For example, if you are citing a study by Smith and Johnson (2020), you would write:
According to Smith and Johnson (2020), the results indicate that…
In this case, both authors’ last names are included in the parentheses, followed by the year of publication.
However, if you mention the authors’ names in your sentence, you only need to include the year of publication in parentheses after the authors’ names. The format is as follows:
– Smith and Johnson (2020) found that…
In this example, the authors’ names are mentioned in the sentence, so the year of publication is placed in parentheses after their names.
When citing a source with two authors in a paraphrase, you should still include the authors’ last names and the year of publication in parentheses. The format is as follows:
– The study by Smith and Johnson (2020) revealed that…
In this case, the authors’ names are mentioned in the sentence, and the year of publication is placed in parentheses after their names.
It’s important to note that if you are citing a source with two authors and the source has been cited previously, you should use the same format as above. However, if the source has been cited multiple times, you can use the shortened author-date format. The format is as follows:
– (Smith & Johnson, 2020)
In this example, the authors’ last names are combined with an ampersand, and the year of publication is placed in parentheses.
By following these guidelines, you can ensure that you are in-text citing APA with two authors correctly. Proper citation not only gives credit to the original authors but also helps maintain the integrity of your academic work.
