Last semester, I was citing a article with twenty authors. Yes, twenty. I wrote all their names out in the in-text citation. It took up half a page. My roommate asked if I was writing a bibliography or a roll call. Do not do this. Use “et al.” after the first author. Your professor will think you’re a genius, and your wrists will thank you.
Also, a quick word on commas: In a list of authors, the last author before “and” gets a comma if there are more than two. But with two authors, no comma before “and.” Seriously, it’s the little things that trip us up.
So, here’s the takeaway: Two authors = “and.” Three or more = “et al.” Group authors = spell it out first, then abbreviate. That’s your cheat sheet. You’re now officially ready to cite the entire cast of a research paper without breaking a sweat.
Go forth and cite with confidence. And if you still feel lost? Just remember: Et al. is your lazy friend, not your enemy. You got this.
