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, Not Hyphenated
The first last name is treated as a middle initial in the references unless it is known that the author uses both last names.
If the author's name is Margaret Mclean Heitkemper,
- Margaret is the first name,
- McLean is treated as the middle name, and
- Heitkemper is the last name.
Use the last name, Heitkemper, followed by the initials of the first and middle names, M. M., in the reference.
Example
Heitkemper, M. M.