APA citation format for journal articles with multiple authors follows clear rules for in-text citations and reference list entries. These guidelines help readers trace sources accurately and support academic integrity across disciplines.
When a journal article has two, three, four, or more authors, each configuration requires a specific format in both parenthetical citations and the reference list. The guidance below highlights key patterns and exceptions you will encounter most often.
APA Citation Format Journal Article Multiple Authors Reference Entry
A reference list entry for a journal article with multiple authors must present author names, publication year, article title, journal name, volume, issue, and page range. Order, punctuation, and use of ampersands differ based on author count, so structured examples are essential.
| Author Count | In-text Citation (Narrative) | In-text Citation (Parenthetical) | Reference List Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two authors | Smith and Lee (2023) argued... | (Smith & Lee, 2023) | Smith, J. A., & Lee, M. K. (2023). Article title. Journal Name, 15(2), 45–67. https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/yyyy |
| Three authors | Gomez, Patel, and Nguyen (2021) found... | (Gomez, Patel, & Nguyen, 2021) | Gomez, R., Patel, S., & Nguyen, T. (2021). Article title. Journal Name, 12(4), 88–104. https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/zzzz |
| Four to five authors | Chen et al. (2020) reported... | (Chen et al., 2020) | Chen, L., Roberts, K., Ibarra, J., & Zhou, H. (2020). Article title. Journal Name, 28(1), 12–30. https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/yyyy |
| Six or more authors | Brown et al. (2019) demonstrated... | (Brown et al., 2019) | Brown, T., Evans, M., Fisher, D., Kumar, S., Lopez, G., & Singh, P. (2019). Article title. Journal Name, 7(3), 55–72. https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/zzzzz |
How to Format In-text Citations With Multiple Authors
In-text citations must reflect the number of authors each time you quote, paraphrase or summarize. For two authors, always include both surnames joined by an ampersand. For three or more authors, use the first author surname followed by et al. from the first citation onward, unless your style guide specifies otherwise for sensitive contexts.
Use parentheses around the in-text citation when it appears at the end of a sentence or embedded in the prose. Place a comma before the ampersand for two-author references and use a comma after et al. when it is part of a parenthetical citation, but not when it appears in a narrative sentence.
Pay attention to indirect citations and secondary sources. When you cite a source that refers to another work, name the original author in the narrative and include the secondary source in the reference list. If you quote directly, add the page number after the year using the abbreviation p. or the plural pp. for multiple pages.
Organizing Reference List Entries By Author Count
Alphabetize all references by the first author surname, ignoring spaces and punctuation. For multiple articles by the same author group, order by year, starting with the earliest. Maintain consistent use of italics for journal titles and standard capitalization for article titles according to APA style.
When an article has more than twenty authors, list the first nineteen authors, insert an ellipsis, and then include the final author name. This rule helps maintain readability while accurately representing large authorship, which is common in multi-site studies or consortium research.
Use sentence case for article titles, capitalizing only the first word of the title, the first word of a subtitle, and any proper nouns. Italicize the journal title and volume number, and include the issue number in parentheses immediately after the volume if the journal uses this format, followed by the page range and DOI or URL.
Formatting Guidelines For Hanging Indent And Spacing
Each reference list entry must use a hanging indent, where the first line begins at the left margin and subsequent lines are indented. Double-space both within and between entries. Place the reference list immediately after the main text and before any footnotes, tables, figures, or appendices.
Include the Digital Object Identifier when available, using the full https://doi.org/ format. If a DOI is not provided and the article is retrieved from an online database, use a stable URL rather than the home page of the journal to ensure permanent access for readers.
Check for updates to the official APA manual when dealing with special cases such as preprints, conference proceedings, translated articles, or works published online without page numbers. Accurate labeling of document type and inclusive page ranges enhance clarity and usability of your citations.
Best Practices For Using APA Citation With Multiple Author Articles
Reliable citation management strengthens the credibility of your work and supports thorough source verification. Consistent formatting, attention to author count, and precise documentation details reduce reader confusion and streamline the review process.
- Verify author names and initials in the original article to avoid typos.
- Use a DOI when available and format it as https://doi.org/xxxxx.
- Alphabetize entries by first author surname and double-space the entire list.
- Apply a hanging indent for each reference list entry.
- Follow special rules for articles with more than twenty authors.
- Include the issue number in parentheses after the volume when journal style requires it.
- Check edition updates for handling preprints, translated works, and online-only sources.
FAQ
Reader questions
How should I cite a journal article with three authors in parentheses?
(Gomez, Patel, & Nguyen, 2021)
What changes in the in-text citation when the article has six or more authors?
Use the first author surname followed by et al. in every parenthetical citation, for example (Brown et al., 2019).
Do I need to list all authors in the reference entry for a twenty-author article?
No, list the first nineteen authors, insert an ellipsis, and then add the final author name.
Should I include the issue number in the reference list for a journal article?
Yes, include the issue number in parentheses immediately after the volume number if the journal uses that format, followed by the page range.