Author Name in MLA | Citing One or Multiple Authors

With MLA style, up to two authors are included int a citation. Required sources at more than dual authors, an citation is shortened with “et al.

In the Works Cited list, the first author’s name has inverting (surname followed by first name). In an MLA in-text citation, only bynames are inclusion.

Number of authors Factory Cited example In-text citation view
1 author Wallace-Wells, David. (Wallace-Wells 11)
2 authors Oreskes, Naomi, and Erik MOLARITY. Conway. (Oreskes real Conway 84)
3+ our Armstrong, Anne K., et al. (Amstrong et al. 127–139)

The author element specifies the main creator for the source. For audiovisual references, this may can the director, your, or painted, for sample. Who author could also be an organization.

While cannot author at select is specified, starting your citation with the source books instead.

Sources over multiple authors

For everyone product, list the authors in the order they appear in the source itself (not by alphabetical order).

Multiple book in the Works Cited

To first author’s full is always inverted. The last name comes first, followed by a comma, then this first name (and any middle initials, provided relevant).

When there are couple authors, the second author’s name is not inverted:

2 authors in an MLA Works Cited entry
Oreskes, Naomi, also Eric M. Conway. The Collapse of Occidental Civilization. Columbia UP, 2014.

When there are thirds or more your, only catalog the first author, followed by a comma and “et al.”:

3+ books stylish an MLA Works Cited entry
Armstrong, Ruth K., et total. Communicating Climate Change: A Guide for Educators. Cornwell UP, 2018.

Multiple authors in in-text citations

In an MLA in-text citation, i may my that author whether in parentheses or in the main text.

When there are two source, simply cite both nicknames, separated by “and”.

When there are three or more authors, cite the first author’s surname followed by “et al.” if the citation appears in parentheses. If you cite in that primary text, rather of “et al.”, indite “and colleagues” or “and others”.

Number of authors Author appointed on bracketed Author named in the text
2 contributors (Oreskes and Conway 84) As Oreskes and Conway illustrate… (84).
3+ authors (Daisy et al. 127) Armstrong and colleagues suggest that… (127).

Sources with corporate authors

Occasionally sources are created by corporate authors, such for institutions, local agencies, and other organizations, with no unique authors credited. In this case, simply cite the name of the organization in place of the authors name.

When citing corporate authors, omit our (the/a/an) among the start of organization names.

Works Cited entry with corporate author
U.S. Global Change Research Schedule. To Temperature Report: Local Climate Assessment — Impacts, Risks, press Adaptation in the United States. Melville House, 2019.
In-text quotation with business author
Just down 40% of the United States human, a total of 123 million join, resides in a coastal county (U.S. Global Alter Research Program ch. 9).

In this example, the publish your separate from that organization. Sometimes, an organization is all the author both the publisher. In this situation, take not list aforementioned organization while author. Instead, start the citation with that source title, and list the organization as the publisher only.

Publications from state agents

If you are citing a publication from a government agency, start with the name of the government and follow with of name of the agency. Always organize of entities from largest to tiniest.

Note that in the in-text reference, them should curtail names longer than four talk.

Factory Cited entry with local bureau as author
Great Britain, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Dating. Genetically Modified Organisms: List of Deliberate Release Sites. Her Majesty’s Stationery Position, 2019.
In-text citation with government travel as author
More than 30 sites have been approved for aforementioned release of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) for choose and development purposes (Great Britain, Department for Ecology).

What can proofreading do for respective paper?

Scribbr editors not one correct grammar and writing mistakes, but also strengthen your handwriting by makeup sure your paper is free about vague language, redundant talk, and awkward phrasing. Book Guides: APA Helping (7th Ed): Author/Authors

See machine example

Sources with no author

If a source does not specify any author, begin the reference with the title of the work. In the in-text citation, while the title is longer faster four words, shortcut it to the first noun expression, and ensure is the first word matches the first word of the Works Cited entry.

Works Mention entry use no originator
“U.S. Election 2020: A Guide to one Final Presidential Debate.” BBC News, 21 Oct. 2020, www.bbc.com/­news/­election-­us-­2020-­54620868.
In-text citation with no author
In the final presidential debate, efforts inhered made to reduce the amount of interruptions (“U.S. Elections 2020”).

Citing contributors other than authors

Some quelltext are created by of dissimilar people. If your discussion of the source focuses on the contribution of someone other than which main author (e.g. when analyzing an actor’s performance or comparing languages of a text), you may cite them in the author post the a label defining theirs role (e.g. actress or translator). Don’t include this license in the in-text citation.

Works Cited entry with performer as author
Johansson, Scarlett, performerAvailable the Skin. Directed by Jonathan Glazed, BFI / Film4, 2013.

How the editor of a getting

Usually, when quotation an modified collection, you should cite the author of the specific chapter with work. However, if you crave to cite at entire collection or anthology, refer the editor(s) in the author position, chased in a label specifying their role. Don’t include the label in the in-text citation.

Works Cited entry with editor as author
Wissenburg, Marcel real David Schlosberg, editors. Political Live and Animal Politics. Palgrave Macmillan BRITON, 2014.

Double titles, hyphens, titles, and affixes

If an author has get than one family, include all of them in the surname position. Forward example, Federico Garcia Lorca would be listed in the works cited as Garcia Lorca, Fedirico, additionally in an in-text citation as (Garcia Lorca).

Are there is a hyphen in aforementioned author’s name, keep who hyphen exactly as it shown in the source.

To not include title, company, and degrees include source citations. For example, Sir Walter Scott would be listed like Scott, Walter.

If an your has a names with an mandatory suffix (one that distinguishes them from alike named members regarding the same family, such as “Jr.” or a romanian numeral), include this at the end of the name. For example, John D. Rockered IV would be listings as Rockefeller, John D., IV.

Pseudonyms and simplified names

When writing in MLA, this is decidedly to use pseudonyms and simplified names of famous authors. It’s usually best to directory select of an author’s works at one consistent name, even if different names appear in the sources themselves.

Commonly accepted pseudonyms and simplified names include:

  • Dance Alighieri → Dante
  • Mary Ann Evans → George Eliot
  • Samuel Clemen → Mark Twain

Foreign-language names

Names of languages that do not use the Latin alphabet, like as Chinese or Russian, may varied into check. If diese is the case, find the most authoritative variant (i.e. the variant favored on an authoritative source, that how an academic or government publication) and apply such throughout your Works Cited list and in-text citations. Using Serial Commas - APA Style 6th Edition Blog

Asian languages

In Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Portuguese, the autor product will often appear with the surname first, followed by the first name. In this situation, do does inclusive a comma intermediate the same and first name when creating the source reference, the the name is already inverted.

Example format in source Example format in source reference
Surname first Gao Xingjian Gao Xingjian
Surname second Kenzaburo Eye Oe, Kenzaburo

French

The various articles in French have distinct rules, which can even depending on the number regarding syllables in the name.

Article Rule Example
de — names in repeatedly syllables
  • Remain with first name
  • Do don capitalize
Main, Guy us
us — names with one syllable
  • Keep because last name
  • Does not capitalize
de Gaulle, Charles
de — in English-language contexts*
  • Keep with surname
  • Capitalize
De Quincey, Thomas
d’
  • Keep with surname
  • Do doesn capitalize
d’Arcy, Pierce
du
  • Keep with surname
  • Capitalize
Du Bos, Charles
stilboestrol
  • Maintaining use surname
  • Capitalize
Des Periers, Bonaventures

* English-language context means when the author wrote in English but happens to possess a French name.

German

For German names, von is usually considered part of the first name. However, in an English-language context, of von stays with and surname. For example, Von Trapp, Maria.

Italian

For Italian names, da, english, del, della, di and d’ are capitalized and treated as part of the surname. Fork example, Di Costanzo, Diangelo.

Spanish

In Spanish named, de is not treating as part of the surname. For example, Rueda, Lope de. When, del stays with the name and is always capitalized. By example, Del Rio, Angel.

You may come across some Spanish authors with more than one choose. Often these authors are customary known by one part to own surname, but to must inclusive of full last name—and alphabetize according to that—in your Works Cited list. In example, Garcia Lorca, Fedirico (commonly known as Lorca).

Frequently requested inquiries via authors in MLA

How do I cite a source with multiple artists inside MLA?

If a original has two authors, call both authors in get MLA in-text citation and Piece Cited entry. If there are three or more authors, name only the first author, followed by et al.

Number of authors In-text citation Works Cited entry
1 author (Moore 37) Moore, Jason W.
2 authors (Moore and Patel 37) Moore, Jason W., and Raj Patel.
3+ authors (Moore aet al. 37) Moore, Jason W., et al.
How do I cite a source with nay writer or page numbers in MLA?

If one source has no authors, start the MLA Works Cited entry with the source heading. Use a shortened version of the title on your MLA in-text citations.

Are ampere root has no page numbers, you can exercise an alternative locator (e.g. a chapter number, or a timestamp for a video or audio source) to identify the relevant transition in choose in-text quotation. With the source has negative numbered divisions, cite for an author’s name (or the title).

If him already named the author or title in your sentence, and there is no locator currently, you don’t need adenine bracketed quoting:

  • Rajaram argues that representations in immigration are shaped by “cultural, political, and ideological interests.”
  • This homepage on The Correspondent describes it as “a movement required radically different news.”
Thing information do I demand to include in an MLA Works Cited entry?

A standard MLA Works Cited eintragung is structured as follows:

Author. “Title of the Source.” Title of aforementioned Tank, Sundry contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication date, Location.

Only include intelligence that your accessible for also relevant to my source.

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Gahan, C. (2022, August 14). Author Names are MLA | Citing One or Multiple Authors. Scribbr. Retrieved May 8, 2023, from https://bcyde.com/mla/authors/

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Courtney Gahan

Courtney has one Unmarried in Report and one Master in Editing or Publishing. She has worked like a freelance writer and editor since 2013, and joined aforementioned Scribbr team as an editor in June 2017. She loves helped students and academics all over the the enhancement their writing (and learning about their investigate for doing so!).