About Authors
To format author names in the reference list, include the author’s last name, followed by a comma and the first and, when applicable, middle initial.
Table 1
Formatting Authors for References
| Author |
Requirements |
Example |
| One author |
Use the author format:
Last name, first initial(s). |
Anderson, J. R. (2010). |
| Two authors |
Use the author format with comma and ampersand (&) between names. |
Brown, O., & Smith, J. (2009). |
| Three or more authors |
Use the author format for all authors, each separated by a comma and with a comma and ampersand before the last author. |
Cha, G., Lui, X., & Zou, S. (2008). |
| Group author (i.e. government agencies, businesses, etc.) |
Use the full name of the organization as it appears on the source, but without abbreviations. |
World Health Organization. (2018). |
| Editor as author |
Include (Ed.) after the author’s name. |
Summers, O. (Ed.). (2010). |
| Film |
Include the director as author, followed by the role in brackets. |
Hoffman, M. (Director). (2002). |
| Podcast episode |
Include the host as author, followed by the role in brackets. |
Dubner, S. J. (Host). (2017, July 26). |
| TV episode |
Include the writer and director as authors, followed by roles in brackets. |
Winger, A. (Writer), & Schrader, M. (Director). (2020, March 26). |
| Streaming video (e.g. YouTube) |
Include the person/group that uploaded the video. See below for information about Usernames. |
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. [mskcc]. (2010, August 11). |
| Username with author name available |
Use the author’s real name followed by the username in square brackets. Capitalize the username as it appears on the source. |
Sauer, K. [bear10090]. (2015, May 11). |
| Username with no author name available |
Use the username without square brackets as the author. Capitalize the username as it appears on the source. |
treehugger. (2015, July 8). |
Authors with Two Last Names
Write the author’s name exactly as it appears on the published work, including hyphenated last names and two-part last names.
If the author's name is Margaret McLean Heitkemper,
- Margaret is the first name,
- McLean Heitkemper are the last names.
Use the last names, McLean Heitkemper, followed by the initial of the first name, M., in the reference.
Example
