How to Cite a Book with Multiple Authors
Citing a book with multiple authors can sometimes be confusing, especially when it comes to following the correct citation format. However, with a few simple guidelines, you can ensure that your citation is accurate and professional. In this article, we will discuss the different citation styles and provide examples of how to cite a book with multiple authors in each style.
APA Style
In APA style, when citing a book with multiple authors, you should list all the authors’ last names and initials, followed by the publication date, the title of the book (italicized), the publisher, and the location of publication. If there are more than two authors, you should use an ellipsis (…) to indicate that there are more authors, but not list them all. Here is an example:
Smith, J., Johnson, L., & Thompson, R. (2020). The Complete Guide to Multiple Author Books (3rd ed.). New York: Academic Press.
If the book has three or more authors, you can also use the “et al.” abbreviation to indicate that there are additional authors. Here’s an example:
Smith, J., Johnson, L., Thompson, R., et al. (2020). The Complete Guide to Multiple Author Books (3rd ed.). New York: Academic Press.
MLA Style
In MLA style, the process is similar to APA, but with a few key differences. You should still list all the authors’ last names and initials, followed by the publication date, the title of the book (italicized), and the publisher. However, MLA style requires you to include the city of publication and the publisher’s name within parentheses. Here’s an example:
Smith, John, Lisa Johnson, and Robert Thompson. The Complete Guide to Multiple Author Books. 3rd ed. New York: Academic Press, 2020.
If there are more than two authors, you can use “et al.” as in APA style. Here’s an example:
Smith, John, Lisa Johnson, Robert Thompson, et al. The Complete Guide to Multiple Author Books. 3rd ed. New York: Academic Press, 2020.
Chicago Style
Chicago style has two sub-styles: the author-date system and the notes-bibliography system. In both sub-styles, when citing a book with multiple authors, you should list all the authors’ last names and initials, followed by the publication date, the title of the book (italicized), and the publisher. For the author-date system, you would include the page number(s) if applicable, while for the notes-bibliography system, you would include a footnote or endnote with the full citation.
Author-date system example:
Smith, J., L. Johnson, and R. Thompson. 2020. The Complete Guide to Multiple Author Books. New York: Academic Press.
Notes-bibliography system example:
1. John Smith, Lisa Johnson, and Robert Thompson, The Complete Guide to Multiple Author Books (New York: Academic Press, 2020).
Conclusion
Citing a book with multiple authors can be a challenging task, but by following the guidelines provided in this article, you can ensure that your citation is accurate and professional. Always double-check the specific citation style required for your assignment or publication, and remember to use the appropriate format for each style.
