APA Reference List Entries with
Multiple Authors
In an APA reference list, how you list authors depends on the total number of authors credited to the work.
Two authors
List both authors in full, using an ampersand (&) before the final author’s name in the reference list.
Three to twenty authors
List all authors in the reference list, separated by commas, with an ampersand before the final author.
Twenty-one or more authors
List the first 19 authors, insert an ellipsis (…), then add the final author’s name in the reference list.
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APA Reference List Rules for Multiple Authors
Reference list author formatting
In an APA reference list, author names are formatted consistently across all source types, regardless of how the work is cited in the text.
The number of authors determines whether all names are listed in full or whether an abbreviated format is required.
Reference list rules focus on how authors are presented in the bibliography, not on sentence structure.
Two authors
When a source has two authors, APA requires that both authors be listed in full in the reference entry.
The authors’ names are separated by a comma, with an ampersand (&) placed before the final author’s name.
This formatting remains the same regardless of the source type.
Three to twenty authors
For works with three to twenty authors, APA requires that all authors be listed individually in the reference list.
Author names are separated by commas, with an ampersand (&) before the final author’s name.
Do not use et al. for reference list entries with twenty or fewer authors.
Twenty-one or more authors
When a work has twenty-one or more authors, APA uses an abbreviated author list in the reference entry.
List the first 19 authors, insert an ellipsis (…), and then include the final author’s name.
No ampersand is used before the ellipsis, and the omitted authors are not listed.
APA Reference List Examples for Multiple Authors
Use the examples below to see how multiple authors are listed in an APA reference list. Each example shows a complete reference entry formatted according to APA guidelines.
Two authors
When a source has two authors, both names are listed in full in the reference entry.
Reference list entry
Walker, J. T., & Allen, R. M. (2020). Title of the article. Journal of Research Methods, 12(3), 45–58. https://doi.org/10.1234/example
Three to twenty authors
For works with three to twenty authors, APA requires listing all authors individually in the reference list.
Reference list entry
Smith, A. J., Lee, K. R., Patel, M. S., & Gomez, L. T. (2019). Title of the article. International Journal of Applied Studies, 8(2), 101–115. https://doi.org/10.5678/example
Twenty-one or more authors
When a work has twenty-one or more authors, the reference list includes the first 19 authors, an ellipsis, and the final author.
Reference list entry
Brown, T. A., Wilson, R. J., Chen, L. M., Davis, P. R., Kim, S. H., Martinez, O. L., Nguyen, H. T., Patel, A. K., Rossi, F. M., Singh, D. P., Taylor, E. J., Thompson, L. R., Wang, Y. Q., White, C. D., Zhao, X. L., Anderson, B. K., Clark, J. N., Edwards, S. M., Flores, R. T., … Miller, J. P. (2021). Title of the article. Journal of Advanced Research, 25, 200–215. https://doi.org/10.9012/example
Same authors, same year
When multiple works by the same authors were published in the same year, letters are added after the year in the reference list.
Reference list entries
Taylor, R. S., Johnson, M. L., & Perez, A. D. (2021a). Title of the first article. Behavioral Science Review, 14(1), 30–42. https://doi.org/10.1111/example
Taylor, R. S., Johnson, M. L., & Perez, A. D. (2021b). Title of the second article. Behavioral Science Review, 14(2), 55–68. https://doi.org/10.2222/example
Common Mistakes in APA Reference Lists for Multiple Authors
Using et al. incorrectly in the reference list
In APA reference lists, et al. is not used for works with twenty or fewer authors. All authors must be listed in full when a source has two to twenty authors.
Wrong
✕ Smith, A. J., et al. (2019). Title of the article.
Correct
✓ Smith, A. J., Lee, K. R., Patel, M. S., & Gomez, L. T. (2019). Title of the article.
Omitting commas or the ampersand between author names
In APA reference lists, author names are separated by commas, with an ampersand (&) placed before the final author. Omitting required punctuation results in an incorrect author list.
Wrong
✕ Walker, J. T. & Allen, R. M. (2020).
Correct
✓ Walker, J. T., & Allen, R. M. (2020).
Listing all authors when a work has twenty-one or more authors
When a source has twenty-one or more authors, APA requires an abbreviated author list. Listing every author is incorrect.
Wrong
✕ Brown, T. A., Wilson, R. J., Chen, L. M., Davis, P. R., Kim, S. H., Martinez, O. L., Nguyen, H. T., Patel, A. K., Rossi, F. M., Singh, D. P., Taylor, E. J., Thompson, L. R., Wang, Y. Q., White, C. D., Zhao, X. L., Anderson, B. K., Clark, J. N., Edwards, S. M., Flores, R. T., Garcia, M. A., Hernandez, J. L., Ibrahim, K. S., Miller, J. P. (2021).
Correct
✓ Brown, T. A., Wilson, R. J., Chen, L. M., Davis, P. R., Kim, S. H., Martinez, O. L., Nguyen, H. T., Patel, A. K., Rossi, F. M., Singh, D. P., Taylor, E. J., Thompson, L. R., Wang, Y. Q., White, C. D., Zhao, X. L., Anderson, B. K., Clark, J. N., Edwards, S. M., Flores, R. T., … Miller, J. P. (2021).
Using “and” instead of an ampersand in reference list entries
In APA reference lists, the word “and” is not used between author names. An ampersand (&) is required before the final author.
Wrong
✕ Walker, J. T., and Allen, R. M. (2020).
Correct
✓ Walker, J. T., & Allen, R. M. (2020).
Changing the author order from the original source
In APA reference lists, authors must appear in the same order as in the original publication. Reordering authors is incorrect, regardless of citation style.
Wrong
✕ Allen, R. M., & Walker, J. T. (2020). (author order changed)
Correct
✓ Walker, J. T., & Allen, R. M. (2020). (original author order)
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