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The author-date format of APA in-text citations provides a helpful structure for giving credit to sources. However, some cases may not fit this standard format, such as when dealing with multiple authors, sources without publication dates, or incorporating more than one source in a single sentence. Explore the following sections to learn more about handling these common in-text citation variations.

Citing Sources with Author and Date Variations

When citing sources with multiple authors or organizations as authors, or even those without a known date or author, use the author-date format typical of APA style. However, you may need to apply some slight variations.

Sources with Two Authors

 

When using a source with two authors, include both last names in every citation in your writing.

Sources with Three or More Authors (et al.)

For a source with three or more authors, list the first author and “et al.” (meaning, “and others”) for all citations.

Here is how this would look for a source authored by Sookochoff, Lai, and Bakke, published in 2023, for both a narrative and parenthetical citation.

  • Sookochoff et al. (2023) found that student engagement increased by 45% when using interactive learning modules.
  • Student engagement increased by 45% when using interactive learning modules (Sookochoff et al., 2023).

Quick Tips

There is no comma between the author's last name and "et al." The period goes only after the "al.”

Sometimes et al. can create confusion if you have multiple sources that could shorten to the same citation. The APA Style website provides guidance on how to handle these special cases.

Cite Works That Shorten to the Same “Et Al.” Form (APA Style)

Organization as an Author

If a group, organization, or government agency is the author, you may use that information in place of the author’s name.

  • The Mayo Clinic (2023) recommends annual checkups.
  • Annual checkups remain essential (Mayo Clinic, 2023).

Abbreviations

Sometimes, organization names can be reduced to abbreviations. However, you should introduce the abbreviation as part of your first citation of that source. After that, you may use the abbreviation.

Parenthetical Citations

First parenthetical citation:

Recent health guidelines recommend increased screenings (World Health Organization [WHO], 2023).

Later citation after abbreviation is introduced:

New protocols have improved patient outcomes (WHO, 2023)

Narrative Citations

First narrative citation

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2023) established new screening protocols.

Later citation after abbreviation is introduced:

CDC (2023) continues to monitor these outcomes.

To learn about other uses of abbreviations in APA style, review our resource on Abbreviations

Unknown or Anonymous Author

For sources with no author listed, use the title and year of publication for citations. In cases where the author is listed as “Anonymous,” you can use that as the author.

Article Example

When using an article, a chapter, or a web page, place the title in quotation marks. If the title is long, shorten it to the first few words.

Early studies on remote learning showed mixed results ("Distance Education Trends," 2023).

Book Example

If you are citing a whole journal or periodical, a book, a brochure, or a report, use italics for the title.

Digital Learning in Higher Education (2022) presented evidence for hybrid models.

Anonymous Author

If a source lists “Anonymous” for the author, use that in place of the author’s name.

The impact of social pressures on academic performance remains significant (Anonymous, 2023).

Sources with No Date

For a source with no date, use “n.d.” in place of the year to signal “no date.” This is used in both narrative and parenthetical citations.

  • Recent workplace studies show increasing demand for digital skills (Smith, n.d.).
  • Smith (n.d.) noted increasing demands for digital skills.

Citing Multiple Sources

There may be times when several studies come to the same conclusions, multiple authors discuss the same fundamental concepts in your field, or one author publishes several studies in the same year. In these cases, you'll need to slightly modify how you handle citations.

Multiple Sources in the Same Citation

You might come across the same information in multiple sources. In these cases, you may want to cite multiple works in one citation to show the various sources that have the information you’re citing.

Parenthetical Citations

For parenthetical citations, list each source alphabetically by the first author, which is the same order the sources appear in your reference list. Each source is separated by a semicolon.

Several studies have linked reading comprehension skills to strong writing skills (Cappell, 2012; Lenard & Swann, 2009; Richardson, 2012).

Narrative Citations

For narrative citations, you can list the sources in alphabetical order, but APA allows for some discretion here, so you can list the sources in whichever order you prefer.

Cappell (2012), Lenard and Swann (2009), and Richardson (2012) linked reading comprehension skills to strong writing skills.

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Quick Tips

Be cautious when citing multiple sources in one citation. Including too many sources can be distracting and difficult to follow, so only cite those directly relevant to your immediate point.

Multiple Sources with the Same Author and Year

When authors publish more than one work in the same year, it's common for them to explore similar topics. This can lead to situations where you need to cite multiple sources by the same author (or authors) from the same year.

To reduce confusion for your readers and clearly identify which source you’re referring to, you’ll need to add a lowercase letter (like “a” or “b”) after the year in the citations.

  • Research demonstrates benefits in both hybrid and online learning environments (Johnson, 2023a, 2023b).
  • Johnson (2023a) found higher engagement in hybrid courses, but Johnson (2023b) demonstrated that fully online formats had better retention rates.
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Quick Tips

The lowercase letters are assigned when the sources are arranged in alphabetical order by title in the reference list.

Citing Special Types of Sources

In some situations, you may want to incorporate information from sources like interviews, emails, translated works, previous assignments, or republished material. Each of these situations will require some special considerations for citations.

Personal Communication

Personal communications may include private letters, memos, some electronic communications (like e-mails), personal interviews, and telephone conversations. The defining characteristic of personal communication is that readers cannot access it. Because of this, personal communication is cited in the text but not included in the references list.

Parenthetical Citations

In parenthetical citations, use the words "personal communication" and the exact date that the personal communication occurred.

Fruity candy is much better than chocolate (J. Smith, personal communication, October 10, 2024).

Narrative Citations

In narrative citations, add the words “personal communication” with the exact date in parentheses. You don’t need to repeat the source’s name in parentheses.

J. Smith proudly stated that fruity candy is much better than chocolate (personal communication, October 10, 2010).

Research Participant Interviews

Participant interviews in a doctoral capstone study are treated differently from personal communication. The APA Style website and Form and Style Editors have additional guidance for doctoral students.

Secondary Sources

Primary and Secondary Sources

Citing a source within a source (citing a secondary source) is generally acceptable within academic writing if these citations are kept to a minimum. You should use a secondary source only if you are unable to find or retrieve the original source of information.

Scenario

Imagine you found a quotation from Culver that you wish to use in your paper. However, you found this information in Jones and were unable to locate Culver’s original article. In this scenario, Culver would be the primary source, and Jones would be the secondary source.

You will mention the primary source in your text (Culver), but the reference list and citations will credit the secondary source (Jones) that you read.

According to Culver (2006, as cited in Jones, 2009), learning APA "can be tough, but like any skill, it just takes practice" (p. 23). In addition, the mastery of APA increases an author's chance of scoring well on an assignment (Culver, 2006, as cited in Jones, 2009).

Include only the secondary source in your reference list.

Jones, J. (2009). Scholarly writing tips. Minneapolis, MN: Publishing House.

OASIS offers additional resources to help you identify and understand secondary sources.

Review Primary and Secondary Sources
Translated, Reprinted, Republished, and Reissued Sources

Include the original publication date and the republish date for translated, reprinted, republished, and reissued works. Separate the dates with a forward slash (/).

  • Early theories of cognitive development remain influential (Piaget, 1936/2015).
  • Piaget (1936/2015) established foundational principles of developmental psychology.
Citing Yourself

If you have published writing, such as articles in a local newsletter or blog, follow APA rules for citations by using your name as the author, just like you would with other sources.

If you are considering the reuse of previously submitted Walden coursework for a new course or term, there are specific guidelines. OASIS has a resource dedicated to reusing your work that also discusses important connections to the Walden Student Code of Conduct.

Learn about Reusing Your Work and Citing Yourself

Check Your Understanding