When citing an article with multiple authors in APA format, it is important to follow the proper guidelines to ensure accuracy and clarity. APA citation style, developed by the American Psychological Association, is widely used in the social sciences, education, and other fields. Proper citation not only gives credit to the original authors but also helps readers locate the source material easily.
In APA style, the citation of an article with multiple authors involves listing all the authors’ names in the order they appear in the publication. If there are three or fewer authors, all names should be included in the citation. For example, if the article has three authors, the citation would read: “Smith, Johnson, & Williams (2020).” However, if there are more than three authors, only the first author’s name is mentioned, followed by “et al.,” which means “and others.” For instance, a citation with four authors would be: “Smith, Johnson, Williams, & Brown (2020).”
It is crucial to note that the order of authors’ names in the citation should match the order in which they appear in the publication. Additionally, the year of publication should be included after the authors’ names, separated by a comma. For example: “Smith, Johnson, & Williams (2020).”
The title of the article should be placed in quotation marks and followed by a period. The title should not be italicized or underlined. For example: “Smith, Johnson, & Williams (2020). ‘The Impact of Climate Change on Coastal Cities.'”
Next, the name of the journal should be provided in italics, followed by the volume number, issue number (if applicable), and the page range of the article. For example: “Smith, Johnson, & Williams (2020). ‘The Impact of Climate Change on Coastal Cities'” Journal Name 42(3), 123-145.
Finally, the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) or URL (Uniform Resource Locator) should be included at the end of the citation. The DOI is a unique identifier for the article and can be found at the end of the article’s metadata. If a DOI is not available, the URL of the article can be used instead. For example: “Smith, Johnson, & Williams (2020). ‘The Impact of Climate Change on Coastal Cities'” Journal Name 42(3), 123-145. https://doi.org/10.1234/exampledoi
By following these guidelines, researchers can effectively cite articles with multiple authors in APA format, ensuring proper credit to the original authors and facilitating easy access to the source material for readers.
