How do I cite two authors using APA style?

Are you happily writing a paper, and everything's going fine until you have to add...the citations!? 😬

APA citations can be confusing, especially if your text has more than one author. Don't worry, you're not alone! Let's learn how to cite two authors in APA style together.

APA style (also known as APA format) was developed by the American Psychological Association and is used mainly in the social sciences, like psychology, sociology, communications, education, and related fields. The current version is APA7.

I used APA style in my degree, and it was confusing at first, but you'll "get it" in no time.

APA is an "author-date" citation style. This means that you will use in-text citations, which include the authors' names and the publication year in parentheses ( ) throughout the main body of your paper. Name both authors in the text (narrative citations) or in parentheses (parenthetical citations)each time you cite the work.

In-Text Citations ⬇️

• Narrative citation: Author Surname and Author Surname (Year)

Example: Kaloostian and Chhetri (2021)

• Parenthetical citation: (Author Surname & Author Surname, Year)

Example: (Kaloostian & Chhetri, 2021)

If you're quoting directly, include a locator (page, page range, or paragraph number) after the author's surnames and year (e.g. comma, p. xx).

Example: The Rumie Initiative "builds upon the lessons learned from One Laptop Per Child initiatives by leveraging greater local support and designing technology that does not rely on internet access" (Kaloostian & Chhetri, 2021, p. 12).

Read more about parenthetical vs. narrative in-text citations at APA Style. ⬅️

After the main body of your paper, include a reference list containing additional details of the text at the end. These are included in alphabetical order (by Author Surname).

In your reference list, include the authors, date, title, and source, answering:

Authors: Who is responsible for this work?

Date: When was this work published?

Title: What is the name of this work?

Source: Where can I read this work?

Read more about the basic principles of reference list entries at APA Style. ⬅️

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To cite (or reference) TWO authors in your reference list, guidelines vary depending on the source (e.g. book, newspaper article, etc.) and the amount of information available. 

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The most common format of the authors and date are:

Author Surname, Initial(s)., & Author Surname, Initial(s). (Year).

The format of the title and source changes depending on the type of text that you use.

See some examples in the links below below:

Read more about the Elements of Reference List Entries at APA Style. ⬅️

Read more about DOIs and URLs at APA Style. ⬅️

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Journal article:

Periodical title, volume, issue, page range, and DOI or URL

Reference list:

Grady, J. S., Her, M., Moreno, G., Perez, C., & Yelinek, J. (2019). Emotions in storybooks: A comparison of storybooks that represent ethnic and racial groups in the United States. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 8(3), 207–217. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000185

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Journal article with article number:

Author Surname, Initial(s)., & Author Surname, Initial(s). (Year). Article title: Subtitle. Journal Title, Volume (Issue), page numbers, https://doi.org/xx.xxxxxxxxxx or URL

Reference list:

Kaloostian, D., & Chhetri, N. (2021). Information and communication technology (ICT) inequities: A comparative literature review of education in the United States and Liberia. International Journal of Education (IJE), 9(2). https://doi.org/10.5121/ije2021.9205

Authored book or whole edited book: Information about the whole book (including editor name, book title, edition and/or volume number, page range, and publisher name) and DOI or URL

Reference list:

Jackson, L. M. (2019). The psychology of prejudice: From attitudes to social action (2nd ed.). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000168-000

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Webpage on a website (when authors are different from the site name): Website name and URL

Reference list:

Bologna, C. (2019, October 31). Why some people with anxiety love watching horror movies. HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/anxiety-love-watching-horror-movies_l_5d277587e4b02a5a5d57b59e

Although it may seem complicated at first, after some practice, you'll be a pro at citing two authors in APA style. Here are some extra steps to take to master APA: