Chicago 17th Author-Date Reference List Entries with
Multiple Authors
This guide follows The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition. Reference list author formatting depends on the total number of authors credited to the source.
Edition scope
These rules match Chicago 17th edition.
One to ten authors
List all authors in the reference list entry. Invert only the first author's name.
Eleven or more authors
List the first seven authors, then add et al. after a comma.
Name order and punctuation
Keep the source author order, separate names with commas, and use and before the final listed author.
Need a complete Chicago Author-Date citation?
Chicago 17th Author-Date Reference List Rules for Multiple Authors
Reference list author formatting rules
This page covers Chicago 17th Author-Date reference list rules for sources with multiple authors.
Chicago 17th in-text citations use et al. for works with four or more authors.
Chicago 18th uses different thresholds. Use this page when your assignment or publisher requires 17th edition. For Chicago 17th in-text rules, see Chicago Author-Date In-Text Citations with Multiple Authors .
One to ten authors
When a source has one to ten authors, list every author in the reference entry.
Invert only the first author's name. Keep later authors in normal order.
Use commas between names and use and before the final listed author.
Eleven or more authors
When a source has eleven or more authors, shorten the reference list author element.
List the first seven authors, then write et al..
Do not list all authors in the reference entry when there are eleven or more.
Keep original author order
Preserve the exact author order shown in the source.
Do not reorder names alphabetically inside a single reference list entry.
Author order reflects publication credit and should not be edited in the citation.
How to Format Chicago Author-Date Reference List Entries with Multiple Authors
Use this checklist before finalizing the author element.
- Count the number of authors listed in the source.
- Keep authors in the original publication order.
- If there are one to ten authors, list all authors.
- If there are eleven or more authors, list the first seven authors and add et al.
- Invert only the first author name in the entry.
- Use commas between names and before the final listed author.
- Confirm the required Chicago edition before you submit.
Lastname, Firstname, and Firstname Lastname. Year. Title. Publisher. Lastname, Firstname, Firstname Lastname, Firstname Lastname, Firstname Lastname, Firstname Lastname, Firstname Lastname, and Firstname Lastname, et al. Year. "Title." Journal Title volume (issue): pages. https://doi.org/xxxxx These two models cover the most common multi-author reference list patterns in Chicago Author-Date.
Chicago Author-Date Reference List Examples for Multiple Authors
The examples below show complete Chicago Author-Date reference entries with multi-author formatting.
Two authors
List both authors; invert only the first author.
Book entry
Thomas, Ken D., and Helen E. Muga. 2014. Handbook of Research on Pedagogical Innovations for Sustainable Development. IGI Global.
Three authors
For one to ten authors, list all authors.
Journal entry
Gu, Mingyu, Qiang Liu, and Shigeki Watanabe. 2013. "AP2 Hemicomplexes Contribute Independently to Synaptic Vesicle Endocytosis." eLife 2 (March). https://doi.org/10.7554/elife.00190.
Eleven or more authors
List the first seven authors, then add et al.
Journal entry
Pettersen, Eric F., Thomas D. Goddard, Conrad C. Huang, Gregory S. Couch, Daniel M. Greenblatt, Elaine C. Meng, and Thomas E. Ferrin, et al. 2004. "UCSF Chimera-A Visualization System for Exploratory Research and Analysis." Journal of Computational Chemistry 25 (13): 1605-12. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcc.20084.
Single-author and coauthored entries with the same first author
Keep each entry in normal alphabetical order in the full reference list.
Reference list ordering example
Rappaport, Joanne. 1994. Cumbe Reborn: An Andean Ethnography of History. University of Chicago Press.
Rappaport, Joanne, and Tom Cummins. 2012. Beyond the Lettered City: Indigenous Literacies in the Andes. Duke University Press.
Rappaport, Joanne, Luis Martinez, and Ana Gomez. 2017. "Intercultural Publics and Shared Archives in Colombia." Latin American Research Review 52 (4): 501-19.
Common Mistakes in Chicago Author-Date Reference Lists for Multiple Authors
Using et al. when a work has ten or fewer authors
In Chicago Author-Date reference lists, works with one to ten authors should list all authors.
Wrong
✕ Smith, Andrew J., et al. 2019. "Title of the article."
Correct
✓ Smith, Andrew J., Karen R. Lee, Meera S. Patel, and Luis T. Gomez. 2019. "Title of the article."
Listing all authors when a work has eleven or more authors
For eleven or more authors, Chicago Author-Date uses a shortened reference list author element.
Wrong
✕ Pettersen, Eric F., Thomas D. Goddard, Conrad C. Huang, Gregory S. Couch, Daniel M. Greenblatt, Elaine C. Meng, Thomas E. Ferrin, Michael A. Day, and Jane Smith. 2004.
Correct
✓ Pettersen, Eric F., Thomas D. Goddard, Conrad C. Huang, Gregory S. Couch, Daniel M. Greenblatt, Elaine C. Meng, and Thomas E. Ferrin, et al. 2004.
Inverting every author name
Only the first author name is inverted in Chicago Author-Date reference entries.
Wrong
✕ Thomas, Ken D., and Muga, Helen E. 2014.
Correct
✓ Thomas, Ken D., and Helen E. Muga. 2014.
Using an ampersand instead of and
Chicago Author-Date reference lists use the word and before the final listed author, not an ampersand.
Wrong
✕ Thomas, Ken D., & Helen E. Muga. 2014.
Correct
✓ Thomas, Ken D., and Helen E. Muga. 2014.
Changing author order from the source
Author names should stay in the source byline order within each reference entry.
Wrong
✕ Muga, Helen E., and Ken D. Thomas. 2014. (order changed)
Correct
✓ Thomas, Ken D., and Helen E. Muga. 2014. (source order)
Need matching in-text and reference list formatting together?
Official Chicago References Used for This Page
We aligned this page with official Chicago sources that explicitly state 17th edition rules for multiple authors.
- CMOS Q&A Documentation FAQ 417 (17th edition rule statement)
- CMOS Q&A Documentation FAQ 247 (more than ten authors in Chicago 17th)
- The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition
Chicago 18th changed author thresholds. Check your required edition before applying these rules.
Related Chicago Author-Date Guides
Support
About YesCite 
YesCite © 2026 YesCite.com. All rights reserved.